


Electrical Impulses

by fardareismai



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Human AU, Online Friendship, Online Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-04-14
Updated: 2015-11-20
Packaged: 2018-03-22 18:29:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 60
Words: 20,216
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3738934
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fardareismai/pseuds/fardareismai
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Friendships bloom in the anonymity of the internet.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [fleurdeneuf](https://archiveofourown.org/users/fleurdeneuf/gifts).



> This is a birthday gift to the rather fabulous Fleurdeneuf. When I asked her for a prompt, she requested Nine and Rose and meeting online. She also said, if I didn't like that prompt, that I could do a Teacher/Student AU, if that was easier.
> 
> So... I sort of did both. Sort of.
> 
> There is more to this story than just this bit, and it will be written eventually, but for now, we have this!

From: [rtyler@pcc.org](mailto:rtyler@pcc.org)

Sent: Saturday, March 1, 2005 3:45 PM

To: [doctor9lord@royalhospital.com](mailto:doctor9lord@royalhospital.com)

Subject: Introduction to Figure Drawing - Parent Introduction

Good afternoon,

My name is Rose Tyler, and I am writing to give you a bit of information about the figure drawing class that your daughter, Jennifer Lord, joined recently.

As you probably know, all students under the age of 18 are asked to provide a parent contact when signing up for classes at the community centre.  This is so that parents can be fully informed of the class’s expectations both of the student and of you, their family.

This class is an introductory class that will teach the basics of figure-drawing.  While we will use live models, this class does not use nude models.  There are later classes, if your student is interested in continuing, that will do so, but these classes are, as are all classes at the centre, optional!

There is one event that is not optional.  The class’s aim will be to produce a completed piece and present it in a “gallery opening” gala event at the end of the class.  We ask that all parents please prioritize coming to this event as it will be extremely important to your students.  I understand that not everyone can make this event, but I do ask that you try.  The event will be formal (or as formal as you can manage out of your own closet- this is all in fun, please don’t feel obligated to spend a lot of money on new clothes!) and will be catered.

Please be sure to attend your student’s special event on

Saturday, March, 15, 2005

Peckham Community Centre for Continuing Education

Main auditorium, 7:00 PM

Thank you, and I look forward to knowing you and your student better!

_To be creative means to be in love with life. You can be creative only if you love life enough that you want to enhance its beauty, you want to bring a little more music to it, a little more poetry to it, a little more dance to it. ~Osho_

Rose Tyler

**Instructor**

**Peckham Community Centre for Continuing Education**


	2. Chapter 2

From: [doctor9lord@royalhospital.com](mailto:doctor9lord@royalhospital.com)

Sent: Monday, March 3, 2005 5:15 PM

To: [rtyler@pcc.org](mailto:rtyler@pcc.org)

Subject: RE: Introduction to Figure Drawing - Parent Introduction

 

Ms. Tyler,

I will do my best to attend, but as the lead trauma surgeon at Royal Hope, I am often required to be at the hospital outside of my normal working hours.  Jenny understands this and would not hold it against me, I can only hope that you will be as generous if something happens.

 

Thanks,

Tim

 

P.S.  Jenny hasn’t been able to stop talking about how wonderful you and your class are.

 

Dr. Timothy Lord, M.D. PhD

Surgeon, Royal Hope Hospital


	3. Chapter 3

From: [rtyler@pcc.org](mailto:rtyler@pcc.org)

Sent: Wednesday, March 5, 2005 7:12 PM

To: [doctor9lord@royalhospital.com](mailto:doctor9lord@royalhospital.com)

Subject: RE: Introduction to Figure Drawing - Parent Introduction

 

Hi Dr. Lord,

I do understand that you have responsibilities at work and, while I hope that you are able to make it (I do think it would make Jenny very happy) I am aware that sometimes life happens!  Jenny is very fond of you, and I know that you will do all in your power to support her, even if you aren’t able to come to the gala.

 

Thank you for the kind compliments by way of your daughter.  This is only my second year teaching here at the Centre, so it is always nice to hear!  Jenny is extremely talented.  You have a daughter to be very proud of, as I’m sure you know.

 

Best,

Rose

 

_To be creative means to be in love with life. You can be creative only if you love life enough that you want to enhance its beauty, you want to bring a little more music to it, a little more poetry to it, a little more dance to it. ~Osho_

 

Rose Tyler

**Instructor**

** Peckham Community Centre for Continuing Education **


	4. Chapter 4

From: [doctor9lord@royalhospital.com](mailto:doctor9lord@royalhospital.com)

Sent: Wednesday, March 5, 2005 9:45 PM

To: [rtyler@pcc.org](mailto:rtyler@pcc.org)

Subject: RE: Introduction to Figure Drawing - Parent Introduction

 

Ms. Tyler,

I thank you for your understanding.  I am very proud of Jenny.  I believe that she can do anything she sets her mind to, even drawing, which is something her old dad could never do!

 

Best,

Tim

 

Dr. Timothy Lord, M.D. PhD

Surgeon, Royal Hope Hospital


	5. Chapter 5

From: [rtyler@pcc.org](mailto:rtyler@pcc.org)

Sent: Wednesday, March 5, 2005 11:35 PM

To: [doctor9lord@royalhospital.com](mailto:doctor9lord@royalhospital.com)

Subject: RE: Introduction to Figure Drawing - Parent Introduction

 

Dr. Lord,

Please feel free to call me Rose.  I teach people both much older and much younger than I am and maintaining any level of formality just feels silly!

 

Perhaps Jenny gets her talent from her mother?  If you aren’t able to make it to the gala, is it possible that she could?  I understand her mother does not live with you, but does she live in the area?

 

Rose

 

_To be creative means to be in love with life. You can be creative only if you love life enough that you want to enhance its beauty, you want to bring a little more music to it, a little more poetry to it, a little more dance to it. ~Osho_

 

Rose Tyler

**Instructor**

**Peckham Community Centre for Continuing Educatio** n


	6. Chapter 6

From: [doctor9lord@royalhospital.com](mailto:doctor9lord@royalhospital.com)

Sent: Thursday, March 6, 2005 12:07 AM

To: [rtyler@pcc.org](mailto:rtyler@pcc.org)

Subject: RE: Introduction to Figure Drawing - Parent Introduction

 

Rose,

Jenny’s mother left a long time ago.  Right after Jenny was born.  We knew each other in secondary school and she fell pregnant right before we finished.  After Jenny was born, she left both of us behind with nothing but a note saying she’d never wanted to be a mum.  Jenny has been mine alone ever since.  She will not be coming to the gala, she and Jenny have no communication.  Jenny’s aunt Donna might be able to make it, if I can’t.

 

Tim

 

Dr. Timothy Lord, M.D. PhD

Surgeon, Royal Hope Hospital


	7. Chapter 7

From: [rtyler@pcc.org](mailto:rtyler@pcc.org)

Sent: Thursday, March 6, 2005 12:15 AM

To: [doctor9lord@royalhospital.com](mailto:doctor9lord@royalhospital.com)

Subject: RE: Introduction to Figure Drawing - Parent Introduction

 

Dr. Lord,

I am so sorry, I didn’t even think, nor did I mean to pry, and I apologize for bringing up anything that you didn’t want to discuss.  Please forgive me.

 

Rose

 

_To be creative means to be in love with life. You can be creative only if you love life enough that you want to enhance its beauty, you want to bring a little more music to it, a little more poetry to it, a little more dance to it. ~Osho_

 

Rose Tyler

**Instructor**

** Peckham Community Centre for Continuing Education **


	8. Chapter 8

From: [doctor9lord@royalhospital.com](mailto:doctor9lord@royalhospital.com)

Sent: Thursday, March 6, 2005 1:18 AM

To: [rtyler@pcc.org](mailto:rtyler@pcc.org)

Subject: RE: Introduction to Figure Drawing - Parent Introduction

 

Honestly, Ms. Tyler?  I’m not sure why I told you.  I tell very few people about Romana.

 

Tim

 

P.S.  You’re up very late.

 

Dr. Timothy Lord, M.D. PhD

Surgeon, Royal Hope Hospital

 

 


	9. Chapter 9

From: [rtyler@pcc.org](mailto:rtyler@pcc.org)

Sent: Thursday, March 6, 2005 1:22 AM

To: [doctor9lord@royalhospital.com](mailto:doctor9lord@royalhospital.com)

Subject: RE: Introduction to Figure Drawing - Parent Introduction

 

Dr. Lord,

There is always a certain comfort in confessing to someone over the internet.  Not seeing their face gives an anonymity to the confession that is comforting, and it feels like, rather than talking to another person, one is simply throwing their secrets into the void.

 

Never fear, however, your secrets are safe with me.

 

Rose

 

P.S.  I’m up writing lesson plans.

P.P.S.  Thought I told you to call me Rose.

 

_To be creative means to be in love with life. You can be creative only if you love life enough that you want to enhance its beauty, you want to bring a little more music to it, a little more poetry to it, a little more dance to it. ~Osho_

 

Rose Tyler

**Instructor**

** Peckham Community Centre for Continuing Education **


	10. Chapter 10

From: [doctor9lord@royalhospital.com](mailto:doctor9lord@royalhospital.com)

Sent: Thursday, March 6, 2005 1:35 AM

To: [rtyler@pcc.org](mailto:rtyler@pcc.org)

Subject: RE: Introduction to Figure Drawing - Parent Introduction

 

Rose,

You sound as though you have some experience there.  Jenny tells me that you are 24, what great evils could you possibly have committed to require confession?

 

Tim

 

P.S. It is this doctor’s medical opinion that you should get some sleep.  Planning your lessons until all hours is no help if you’re too tired to present them.

 

Dr. Timothy Lord, M.D. PhD

Surgeon, Royal Hope Hospital

 

 


	11. Chapter 11

From: [rtyler@pcc.org](mailto:rtyler@pcc.org)

Sent: Thursday, March 6, 2005 2:42 AM

To: [doctor9lord@royalhospital.com](mailto:doctor9lord@royalhospital.com)

Subject: RE: Introduction to Figure Drawing - Parent Introduction

 

Dr. Lord,

I’m sure all of the “great evils” that you’ve committed have been entirely in your obsolescence, eh?  Don’t tell me you’re one of those people who believes that young people never have anything bad happen to them simply because they’re young?

 

Rose

 

P.S. I’ll go to bed when I want to go to bed, Doctor.  You’re up very late as well.  Won’t it affect your ability to perform surgery in the morning?

 

_To be creative means to be in love with life. You can be creative only if you love life enough that you want to enhance its beauty, you want to bring a little more music to it, a little more poetry to it, a little more dance to it. ~Osho_

Rose Tyler

**Instructor**

** Peckham Community Centre for Continuing Education **


	12. Chapter 12

From: [doctor9lord@royalhospital.com](mailto:doctor9lord@royalhospital.com)

Sent: Thursday, March 6, 2005 3:00 AM

To: [rtyler@pcc.org](mailto:rtyler@pcc.org)

Subject: RE: Introduction to Figure Drawing - Parent Introduction

 

Rose,

Now it is my turn to apologize- I never intended to patronize you for your age.  I do know that bad things happen to young people far more than they should, and it is a conceit of age to pretend that they don’t.

 

Tim

 

P.S. I don’t need much sleep, old man that I am, and my surgery never suffers, no matter how little sleep I’ve had.

 

Dr. Timothy Lord, M.D. PhD

Surgeon, Royal Hope Hospital

 

 


	13. Chapter 13

From: [rtyler@pcc.org](mailto:rtyler@pcc.org)

Sent: Thursday, March 6, 2005 9:15 AM

To: [doctor9lord@royalhospital.com](mailto:doctor9lord@royalhospital.com)

Subject: RE: Introduction to Figure Drawing - Parent Introduction

 

Dr. Lord,

Not only do young people have bad things happen to them, but sometimes they do bad things as well.  It is another conceit of age that only they can have an impact- positive or negative- on the world.  That said, your apology is very much accepted.

 

Rose

 

P.S. You think you’re so impressive!  I’ll have you know that I did go to bed, but only because I wanted to, not because some Doctor told me to.

 

_To be creative means to be in love with life. You can be creative only if you love life enough that you want to enhance its beauty, you want to bring a little more music to it, a little more poetry to it, a little more dance to it. ~Osho_

 

Rose Tyler

**Instructor**

**Peckham Community Centre for Continuing Education**

 

 


	14. Chapter 14

From: [doctor9lord@royalhospital.com](mailto:doctor9lord@royalhospital.com)

Sent: Thursday, March 6, 2005 9:30 AM

To: [rtyler@pcc.org](mailto:rtyler@pcc.org)

Subject: RE: Introduction to Figure Drawing - Parent Introduction

 

Rose,

I’m sure that whatever your crimes are, they’re not so bad as all that.  The community centre requires background checks for all of their instructors (I made sure before allowing Jenny to enroll at 16).  

 

Tim

 

P.S. The first thing that Jenny said to me this morning over breakfast was that she couldn’t wait for your class tomorrow.

 

Dr. Timothy Lord, M.D. PhD

Surgeon, Royal Hope Hospital

 

 


	15. Chapter 15

From: [rtyler@pcc.org](mailto:rtyler@pcc.org)

Sent: Thursday, March 6, 2005 12:27 PM

To: [doctor9lord@royalhospital.com](mailto:doctor9lord@royalhospital.com)

Subject: RE: Introduction to Figure Drawing - Parent Introduction

 

Dr. Lord,

Either my crimes are very mild or, potentially, I’m working for a secret government organization that has cleared my record for me!

 

(Also, it’s possible that I watch too much trashy American telly.)

 

Honestly though, I haven’t really committed any crimes, but I have done things that are far more foolish than the role model that I hope I’ve become would imply.

 

Rose

 

P.S.  I look forward to seeing Jenny as well.  Is she thinking of signing up for the second class in the series?  If so you’ll get another form e-mail from me shortly about nude models and trips to the National Gallery.

 

_To be creative means to be in love with life. You can be creative only if you love life enough that you want to enhance its beauty, you want to bring a little more music to it, a little more poetry to it, a little more dance to it. ~Osho_

 

Rose Tyler

**Instructor**

** Peckham Community Centre for Continuing Education **


	16. Chapter 16

From: [doctor9lord@royalhospital.com](mailto:doctor9lord@royalhospital.com)

Sent: Thursday, March 6, 2005 12:55 PM

To: [rtyler@pcc.org](mailto:rtyler@pcc.org)

Subject: RE: Introduction to Figure Drawing - Parent Introduction

 

Rose,

Overcoming bad experiences and bad decisions is what makes a good role model, in my opinion.  One of my favourite authors once said “wisdom comes from experience.  Experience is often a result of lack of wisdom.”

 

I’ve a good friend who’s very fond of American spy shows (he’s an ex-pat).  I’ve never tried to get into them as he has questionable judgment.

 

Tim

 

P.S. I’m not sure how comfortable I am with my 16-year-old daughter spending three afternoons a week with nude strangers.  What’s the screening process for your models?

 

Dr. Timothy Lord, M.D. PhD

Surgeon, Royal Hope Hospital

 

 


	17. Chapter 17

From: [rtyler@pcc.org](mailto:rtyler@pcc.org)

Sent: Thursday, March 6, 2005 5:47 PM

To: [doctor9lord@royalhospital.com](mailto:doctor9lord@royalhospital.com)

Subject: RE: Introduction to Figure Drawing - Parent Introduction

 

Dr. Lord,

It’s funny that you should mention both the models and American telly, I actually got hooked on X-Files because of one of my models!  He’s an American as well, but his taste in telly is top-notch, even if his taste in dates isn’t always!

 

I can send you a brochure detailing the screening process that we have for the models.  All of them go through the same background screening that I do, and I know both of my models personally, and would trust either of them with my life.

 

Rose

 

P.S. Actually, I think I responded to this in the body of the e-mail.  Sorry about that.  There is something I’ve been wondering about though: what do you have your PhD in?  Is it also medicine?

 

_To be creative means to be in love with life. You can be creative only if you love life enough that you want to enhance its beauty, you want to bring a little more music to it, a little more poetry to it, a little more dance to it. ~Osho_

 

Rose Tyler

**Instructor**

**Peckham Community Centre for Continuing Education**

 

 


	18. Chapter 18

From: [doctor9lord@royalhospital.com](mailto:doctor9lord@royalhospital.com)

Sent: Thursday, March 6, 2005 6:10 PM

To: [rtyler@pcc.org](mailto:rtyler@pcc.org)

Subject: RE: Introduction to Figure Drawing - Parent Introduction

 

Rose,

I suppose i trust your judgment as well as i would trust a background check. I don't think you'd willingly put my daughter or anyone else at risk.

 

Tim

 

P.S. My PhD is actually in astrophysics. For awhile, i thought i might be a doctor among the stars, a bit like Bones in Star Trek.

 

Dr. Timothy Lord, M.D. PhD

Surgeon, Royal Hope Hospital

 

 


	19. Chapter 19

From: [rtyler@pcc.org](mailto:rtyler@pcc.org)

Sent: Thursday, March 6, 2005 8:22 PM

To: [doctor9lord@royalhospital.com](mailto:doctor9lord@royalhospital.com)

Subject: RE: Introduction to Figure Drawing - Parent Introduction

 

Dr. Lord,

I so deeply appreciate your vote of confidence.  I’ll be sure not to allow either of my models to corrupt your innocent girl.

 

Rose

 

_To be creative means to be in love with life. You can be creative only if you love life enough that you want to enhance its beauty, you want to bring a little more music to it, a little more poetry to it, a little more dance to it. ~Osho_

 

Rose Tyler

**Instructor**

**Peckham Community Centre for Continuing Education**

 

 


	20. Chapter 20

From: [doctor9lord@royalhospital.com](mailto:doctor9lord@royalhospital.com)

Sent: Thursday, March 6, 2005 8:28 PM

To: [rtyler@pcc.org](mailto:rtyler@pcc.org)

Subject: RE: Introduction to Figure Drawing - Parent Introduction

 

Rose,

I’m sorry, did I say something wrong?

 

Tim

 

Dr. Timothy Lord, M.D. PhD

Surgeon, Royal Hope Hospital

 

 


	21. Chapter 21

From: [doctor9lord@royalhospital.com](mailto:doctor9lord@royalhospital.com)

Sent: Friday, March 7, 2005 8:15 AM

To: [rtyler@pcc.org](mailto:rtyler@pcc.org)

Subject: RE: Introduction to Figure Drawing - Parent Introduction

 

Rose,

Please forgive me, whatever it was that I said.  I honestly didn’t intend to offend you.

 

Tim

 

P.S. Jenny is looking forward to seeing you today.  I hope that whatever I did to upset you you remember that she didn’t have any part of it.

 

Dr. Timothy Lord, M.D. PhD

Surgeon, Royal Hope Hospital

 

 


	22. Chapter 22

From: [doctor9lord@royalhospital.com](mailto:doctor9lord@royalhospital.com)

Sent: Friday, March 7, 2005 5:25 PM

To: [rtyler@pcc.org](mailto:rtyler@pcc.org)

Subject: RE: Introduction to Figure Drawing - Parent Introduction

 

Rose,

Jenny said that she had a wonderful time in class today.  She is very proud of the piece that she is working on for the gala and says that you have been an wonderful help.  I’ve rarely seen her this excited about anything.  Thank you,

 

Tim

 

P.S.  I don’t know if she told you, but she has signed up for your second class.  She’s very excited about the models.  She said one of them came to class today- a woman named Martha who was very friendly.  She’s looking forward to being able to draw Martha.

 

Dr. Timothy Lord, M.D. PhD

Surgeon, Royal Hope Hospital

 

 


	23. Chapter 23

From: [rtyler@pcc.org](mailto:rtyler@pcc.org)

Sent: Saturday, March 8, 2005 3:47 PM

To: [doctor9lord@royalhospital.com](mailto:doctor9lord@royalhospital.com)

Subject: Intermediate Figure Drawing - Parent Introduction

 

Good afternoon,

My name is Rose Tyler, and I am writing to give you a bit of information about the intermediate figure drawing class that your daughter, Jennifer Lord, joined recently.

 

As you probably know, all students under the age of 18 are asked to provide a parent contact when signing up for classes at the community centre.  This is so that parents can be fully informed of the class’s expectations both of the student and of you, their family.

 

This class is an intermediate class that will teach higher-level figure-drawing than the last class.  This class **does** use nude models.  The nude models have been carefully vetted by the community centre and by me personally.  There will be a meet-and-greet to allow both you and your student to grow comfortable with both of the models.  This will be held the day before class starts on Sunday the 16th of March.

 

On the Saturday after the first week of class, there will be an optional excursion to the National Gallery, led by leading art historian Dr. Susan Foreman.  Tickets to the gallery will be discounted by 50% for any students wishing to participate, and parents are welcome to join the excursion on Saturday, 22 March.

 

There is one event that is not optional.  The class’s aim will be to produce a completed piece and present it in a “gallery opening” gala event at the end of the class.  We ask that all parents please prioritize coming to this event as it will be extremely important to your students.  I understand that not everyone can make this event, but I do ask that you try.  The event will be formal (or as formal as you can manage out of your own closet- this is all in fun, please don’t feel obligated to spend a lot of money on new clothes!) and will be catered.

 

Please be sure to attend your student’s special event on

 

Saturday, March 29, 2005

Peckham Community Centre for Continuing Education

Main auditorium, 7:00 PM

 

Thank you, and I look forward to knowing you and your student better!

 

_Live your truth. Express your love. Share your enthusiasm. Take action towards your dreams. Walk your talk. Dance and sing to your music. Embrace your blessings. Make today worth remembering. ~Steve Maraboli_

 

Rose Tyler

**Instructor**

**Peckham Community Centre for Continuing Education**

 

 


	24. Chapter 24

From: [doctor9lord@royalhospital.com](mailto:doctor9lord@royalhospital.com)

Sent: Saturday, March 8, 2005 5:15 PM

To: [rtyler@pcc.org](mailto:rtyler@pcc.org)

Subject: RE: Intermediate Figure Drawing - Parent Introduction

 

Rose,

Jenny is very much looking forward to this class.  I thank you for holding a meet-and-greet for the models, it’s very comforting to old curmudgeons like myself to feel more comfortable.

 

Tim

 

P.S. I hope you’ve fun plans for the weekend.  After a week teaching folks like my daughter, you deserve a bit of relaxation.

 

Dr. Timothy Lord, M.D. PhD

Surgeon, Royal Hope Hospital

 

 


	25. Chapter 25

From: [rtyler@pcc.org](mailto:rtyler@pcc.org)

Sent: Sunday, March 9, 2005 12.:27 PM

To: [doctor9lord@royalhospital.com](mailto:doctor9lord@royalhospital.com)

Subject: RE: Intermediate Figure Drawing - Parent Introduction

 

Dr. Lord,

I am looking forward to continue having Jenny in my class.  She is, as I have said before, very talented.  Even if she follows in your footsteps and becomes a physician or an astrophysicist, the skills she is learning with me now will be useful, even if only to allow her to relax.

 

Rose

 

_Live your truth. Express your love. Share your enthusiasm. Take action towards your dreams. Walk your talk. Dance and sing to your music. Embrace your blessings. Make today worth remembering. ~Steve Maraboli_

 

Rose Tyler

**Instructor**

**Peckham Community Centre for Continuing Education**

 

 


	26. Chapter 26

From: [doctor9lord@royalhospital.com](mailto:doctor9lord@royalhospital.com)

Sent: Saturday, March 8, 2005 5:15 PM

To: [rtyler@pcc.org](mailto:rtyler@pcc.org)

Subject: RE: Intermediate Figure Drawing - Parent Introduction

 

Rose,

She’s been talking recently about becoming an archaeologist or a field anthropologist and explaining to me how important these drawings will be for that field when she has to draw artifacts or recreate what she thinks a site looked like when it was living.  I think she’ll be brilliant at it, and it’ll be partly thanks to you, Rose.

 

Tim

 

P.S.  I’m very much looking forward to meeting you next week.

 

Dr. Timothy Lord, M.D. PhD

Surgeon, Royal Hope Hospital

 

 


	27. Chapter 27

From: [rtyler@pcc.org](mailto:rtyler@pcc.org)

Sent: Sunday, March 9, 2005 9.:45 PM

To: [doctor9lord@royalhospital.com](mailto:doctor9lord@royalhospital.com)

Subject: RE: Intermediate Figure Drawing - Parent Introduction

 

Dr. Lord,

Jenny would be excellent at either one.  I don’t teach still life drawing, but my friend Amy, who does, is an excellent teacher, if Jenny wants to sign up for one of her sessions.  Since she’s finished the introduction-level of my class, she could sign up for the intermediate level of Amy’s.

 

Rose

 

_Live your truth. Express your love. Share your enthusiasm. Take action towards your dreams. Walk your talk. Dance and sing to your music. Embrace your blessings. Make today worth remembering. ~Steve Maraboli_

 

Rose Tyler

**Instructor**

**Peckham Community Centre for Continuing Education**

 

 


	28. Chapter 28

From: [doctor9lord@royalhospital.com](mailto:doctor9lord@royalhospital.com)

Sent: Saturday, March 8, 2005 5:15 PM

To: [rtyler@pcc.org](mailto:rtyler@pcc.org)

Subject: RE: Intermediate Figure Drawing - Parent Introduction

 

Rose,

I will let her know that you recommend that, or you can tell her in class today.  She might try to talk you into teaching a still life class, however.  She’s extremely fond of you already, and she can be very persuasive.  She gets that from her aunt Donna.

 

Tim

 

P.S. I know you told us not to, but Jenny was too excited about the gala to wear anything in her closet, so we went dress shopping.  She’s now almost as excited to wear the dress as she is to show me her piece which, by the way, she won’t tell me anything about.  Are you sure she’s not drawing nudes?

 

Dr. Timothy Lord, M.D. PhD

Surgeon, Royal Hope Hospital

 

 


	29. Chapter 29

From: [rtyler@pcc.org](mailto:rtyler@pcc.org)

Sent: Monday, March 10, 2005 5.:55 PM

To: [doctor9lord@royalhospital.com](mailto:doctor9lord@royalhospital.com)

Subject: RE: Intermediate Figure Drawing - Parent Introduction

 

Dr. Lord,

I’ve sat Amy’s still life classes a time or two, and I can promise you that Jenny would be much happier with her as a teacher than me, at least for this!

 

Jenny’s told me a bit about her aunt Donna.  She sounds wonderful.  It almost makes me hope that you can’t make the gala and she comes instead!

 

Rose

 

P.S.  Of course she wants to buy a new dress, and I’m glad you let her do it.  I can 100% assure you that the piece that Jenny has nearly finished is absolutely not nude.  More’s the pity, really.

 

_Live your truth. Express your love. Share your enthusiasm. Take action towards your dreams. Walk your talk. Dance and sing to your music. Embrace your blessings. Make today worth remembering. ~Steve Maraboli_

 

Rose Tyler

**Instructor**

**Peckham Community Centre for Continuing Education**

 

 


	30. Chapter 30

From: [doctor9lord@royalhospital.com](mailto:doctor9lord@royalhospital.com)

Sent: Tuesday, March 9, 2005 5:15 PM

To: [rtyler@pcc.org](mailto:rtyler@pcc.org)

Subject: RE: Intermediate Figure Drawing - Parent Introduction

 

Rose,

I hope you don’t wind up too disappointed as I’m very much planning on coming to the gala.  Jenny has told me how much it means to her, and I do try to avoid disappointing her when I can.  Just so you’re not too sad about it, Donna and her husband Lee may come as well.

 

Tim

 

P.S.  More’s the pity?  That sounds ominous.  What in all the seven systems are you allowing my daughter to draw?

 

Dr. Timothy Lord, M.D. PhD

Surgeon, Royal Hope Hospital

 

 


	31. Chapter 31

From: [rtyler@pcc.org](mailto:rtyler@pcc.org)

Sent: Wednesday, March 11, 2005 8:26 AM

To: [doctor9lord@royalhospital.com](mailto:doctor9lord@royalhospital.com)

Subject: RE: Intermediate Figure Drawing - Parent Introduction

 

Dr. Lord,

I’m sure I’ll shore myself up under my disappointment somehow, even if I don’t get to meet your sister on Saturday.  You will have to prove to be as wonderful as Jenny claims you are, however.  You’ve a lot to live up to.

 

Rose

 

P.S. I haven’t forced your daughter to draw anything.  She’s a prodigy in her own right.

 

_Live your truth. Express your love. Share your enthusiasm. Take action towards your dreams. Walk your talk. Dance and sing to your music. Embrace your blessings. Make today worth remembering. ~Steve Maraboli_

 

Rose Tyler

**Instructor**

**Peckham Community Centre for Continuing Education**

 

 


	32. Chapter 32

From: [doctor9lord@royalhospital.com](mailto:doctor9lord@royalhospital.com)

Sent: Wednesday, March 10, 2005 12:08 PM

To: [rtyler@pcc.org](mailto:rtyler@pcc.org)

Subject: RE: Intermediate Figure Drawing - Parent Introduction

 

Rose,

If you think I believe that my 16-year-old daughter has been nothing but complimentary about her old man, you must consider me very credulous.  I’ll try to be a bit less of an old grump than she’s told you I am, however.

 

Tim

 

P.S.  Don’t use the word “prodigy” around her.  She’s got her mother’s streak of ego.

 

Dr. Timothy Lord, M.D. PhD

Surgeon, Royal Hope Hospital

 

 


	33. Chapter 33

From: [rtyler@pcc.org](mailto:rtyler@pcc.org)

Sent: Wednesday, March 11, 2005 8:26 AM

To: [doctor9lord@royalhospital.com](mailto:doctor9lord@royalhospital.com)

Subject: RE: Intermediate Figure Drawing - Parent Introduction

 

Dr. Lord,

I suppose I would appreciate it if you avoided calling me a “stupid ape” which, I have been reliably informed, is your preferred insult when you are being, as you so colourfully put it, an “old grump.”

 

Rose

 

P.S. Oh yes, I’ve no doubt it’s only Jenny’s _mother_ that has an ego.  This from the man who informed me that he can do surgery without sleep without any loss of skill.  No ego there at all.

 

_Live your truth. Express your love. Share your enthusiasm. Take action towards your dreams. Walk your talk. Dance and sing to your music. Embrace your blessings. Make today worth remembering. ~Steve Maraboli_

 

Rose Tyler

**Instructor**

**Peckham Community Centre for Continuing Education**

 

 


	34. Chapter 34

From: [doctor9lord@royalhospital.com](mailto:doctor9lord@royalhospital.com)

Sent: Wednesday, March 10, 2005 12:08 PM

To: [rtyler@pcc.org](mailto:rtyler@pcc.org)

Subject: RE: Intermediate Figure Drawing - Parent Introduction

 

Rose,

She told you that?  This conversation is officially going into the file I keep titled “evidence that I should have locked my daughter in Rapunzel’s tower when she turned 13.”

 

Tim

 

P.S. I have no idea what you’re talking about.  I am a perfectly rational, level-headed genius surgeon with a brilliant daughter and five degrees.  Can’t imagine me having an ego.

 

Dr. Timothy Lord, M.D. PhD

Surgeon, Royal Hope Hospital

 

 


	35. Chapter 35

From: [rtyler@pcc.org](mailto:rtyler@pcc.org)

Sent: Wednesday, March 11, 2005 5:48 PM

To: [doctor9lord@royalhospital.com](mailto:doctor9lord@royalhospital.com)

Subject: RE: Intermediate Figure Drawing - Parent Introduction

 

Dr. Lord,

I think every dad probably says that about his teenage daughter at some point.  Jenny’s a lovely girl, and I’m sure in a few years you won’t think she should have spent the last half-decade locked in a tower.  Though I’m sure her first boyfriend will reaffirm the belief a bit.

 

Rose

 

P.S.  My apologies, how could I have gotten that wrong?  You’ll have to forgive this flighty, average-intellect, art teacher without any university degrees.  It must have just been faulty reasoning.

 

_Live your truth. Express your love. Share your enthusiasm. Take action towards your dreams. Walk your talk. Dance and sing to your music. Embrace your blessings. Make today worth remembering. ~Steve Maraboli_

 

Rose Tyler

**Instructor**

**Peckham Community Centre for Continuing Education**

 

 


	36. Chapter 36

From: [doctor9lord@royalhospital.com](mailto:doctor9lord@royalhospital.com)

Sent: Wednesday, March 10, 2005 6:03 PM

To: [rtyler@pcc.org](mailto:rtyler@pcc.org)

Subject: RE: Intermediate Figure Drawing - Parent Introduction

 

Rose,

Did your dad ever threaten to lock you in a tower?

 

I’m sure you’re right about Jenny’s first boyfriend.  She hasn’t shown much interest in dating yet, but I’m sure once she starts, it’ll be the bane of my existence.

 

Tim

 

P.S.  Have you ever considered going to university?  Maybe for art?  I’m sure you’d be brilliant at it.  Jenny says you’re the best artist she’s ever seen.

 

Dr. Timothy Lord, M.D. PhD

Surgeon, Royal Hope Hospital

 

 


	37. Chapter 37

From: [rtyler@pcc.org](mailto:rtyler@pcc.org)

Sent: Wednesday, March 11, 2005 9:55 PM

To: [doctor9lord@royalhospital.com](mailto:doctor9lord@royalhospital.com)

Subject: RE: Intermediate Figure Drawing - Parent Introduction

 

Dr. Lord,

No, my father never threatened to lock me in a tower.  He died when I was about 18 months old.

 

Rose

 

_Live your truth. Express your love. Share your enthusiasm. Take action towards your dreams. Walk your talk. Dance and sing to your music. Embrace your blessings. Make today worth remembering. ~Steve Maraboli_

 

Rose Tyler

**Instructor**

**Peckham Community Centre for Continuing Education**

 

 


	38. Chapter 38

From: [doctor9lord@royalhospital.com](mailto:doctor9lord@royalhospital.com)

Sent: Wednesday, March 10, 2005 10:00 PM

To: [rtyler@pcc.org](mailto:rtyler@pcc.org)

Subject: RE: Intermediate Figure Drawing - Parent Introduction

 

Rose,

I’m so sorry.  I didn’t mean to say anything to bring up bad memories.  Do you want to talk about it?

 

Tim

 

Dr. Timothy Lord, M.D. PhD

Surgeon, Royal Hope Hospital

 

 


	39. Chapter 39

From: [rtyler@pcc.org](mailto:rtyler@pcc.org)

Sent: Wednesday, March 11, 2005 10:15 PM

To: [doctor9lord@royalhospital.com](mailto:doctor9lord@royalhospital.com)

Subject: RE: Intermediate Figure Drawing - Parent Introduction

 

Dr. Lord,

I don’t know that there’s really anything to talk about.  I was a baby, so I don’t remember anything.  All I know is what my mum has told me over the years.  They were going to a wedding, and I was with her and the other bridesmaids.  My dad was picking up a last-minute gift at the store and when he crossed the road to get to the church, someone just ran him down.  They never caught the person who did it.  He died alone in the street while my mum and I were less than 100 yards away.

 

That’s the hardest part, I guess… that he died alone.  It’s what keeps me up some nights.

 

But it was a long time ago.  It isn’t important now.

 

Rose

 

P.S.  I thought about going to university once, but I decided not to.  Finished my A-levels after taking some time off and decided that maybe formal education wasn’t quite as important as people claim it is.

 

_Live your truth. Express your love. Share your enthusiasm. Take action towards your dreams. Walk your talk. Dance and sing to your music. Embrace your blessings. Make today worth remembering. ~Steve Maraboli_

 

Rose Tyler

**Instructor**

**Peckham Community Centre for Continuing Education**

 

 


	40. Chapter 40

From: [doctor9lord@royalhospital.com](mailto:doctor9lord@royalhospital.com)

Sent: Wednesday, March 10, 2005 10:17 PM

To: [rtyler@pcc.org](mailto:rtyler@pcc.org)

Subject: RE: Intermediate Figure Drawing - Parent Introduction

 

Rose,

No parent should have to miss out on their child’s life and no child should miss out on their parent’s love.  It happens far more often than it should, but it’s not right.

 

I’m sure your father would be proud of you.

 

Tim

 

P.S.  Formal education isn’t for everyone.  You’re brilliant without it.

 

Dr. Timothy Lord, M.D. PhD

Surgeon, Royal Hope Hospital

 

 


	41. Chapter 41

From: [rtyler@pcc.org](mailto:rtyler@pcc.org)

Sent: Wednesday, March 11, 2005 10:45 PM

To: [doctor9lord@royalhospital.com](mailto:doctor9lord@royalhospital.com)

Subject: RE: Intermediate Figure Drawing - Parent Introduction

 

Dr. Lord,

Thank you.

 

Rose

 

_Live your truth. Express your love. Share your enthusiasm. Take action towards your dreams. Walk your talk. Dance and sing to your music. Embrace your blessings. Make today worth remembering. ~Steve Maraboli_

 

Rose Tyler

**Instructor**

**Peckham Community Centre for Continuing Education**

 

 


	42. Chapter 42

From: [doctor9lord@royalhospital.com](mailto:doctor9lord@royalhospital.com)

Sent: Wednesday, March 10, 2005 10:50 PM

To: [rtyler@pcc.org](mailto:rtyler@pcc.org)

Subject: RE: Intermediate Figure Drawing - Parent Introduction

 

Rose,

Please feel free to talk to me anytime about anything.  Honestly.

 

Tim

 

Dr. Timothy Lord, M.D. PhD

Surgeon, Royal Hope Hospital

 

 


	43. Chapter 43

From: [rtyler@pcc.org](mailto:rtyler@pcc.org)

Sent: Thursday, March 12, 2005 5:07 AM

To: [doctor9lord@royalhospital.com](mailto:doctor9lord@royalhospital.com)

Subject: RE: Intermediate Figure Drawing - Parent Introduction

 

Dr. Lord,

I want to apologize to you for being so unprofessional last night.  Our relationship has become friendly, and I do appreciate that- it is very important for the parents of my younger students to feel comfortable with me- I fear that I crossed a line last night.  Please do forgive me, and know that this is not usually how I behave with my students’ parents.

 

Regards,

Rose

 

_Live your truth. Express your love. Share your enthusiasm. Take action towards your dreams. Walk your talk. Dance and sing to your music. Embrace your blessings. Make today worth remembering. ~Steve Maraboli_

 

Rose Tyler

**Instructor**

**Peckham Community Centre for Continuing Education**

 

 


	44. Chapter 44

From: [doctor9lord@royalhospital.com](mailto:doctor9lord@royalhospital.com)

Sent: Wednesday, March 10, 2005 6:18 PM

To: [rtyler@pcc.org](mailto:rtyler@pcc.org)

Subject: RE: Intermediate Figure Drawing - Parent Introduction

 

Rose,

Please don’t apologize, you didn’t overstep anything.  I offered my shoulder to you last night as a friend, and you accepted it the same way.  I know that I'm Jenny's dad, but I consider you a friend, and i’d like you to consider me one. Please don't feel like anything you say to me is ever going to lower my regard for you, nor would I ever use anything you say as a weapon.

 

Tim

 

Dr. Timothy Lord, M.D. PhD

Surgeon, Royal Hope Hospital

 

 


	45. Chapter 45

From: [rtyler@pcc.org](mailto:rtyler@pcc.org)

Sent: Thursday, March 12, 2005 6:27 AM

To: [doctor9lord@royalhospital.com](mailto:doctor9lord@royalhospital.com)

Subject: RE: Intermediate Figure Drawing - Parent Introduction

 

Dr. Lord,

I suppose I must thank you again.  I spent much of last night awake worrying that I had overstepped the bounds of our relationship.

 

I do not generally get as personally involved either with my students or with the parents of the younger students as I have with you, but I would like you to know that I consider you a friend as well.

 

Again, thank you for your understanding and for being willing to listen last night.

 

Rose

 

_Live your truth. Express your love. Share your enthusiasm. Take action towards your dreams. Walk your talk. Dance and sing to your music. Embrace your blessings. Make today worth remembering. ~Steve Maraboli_

 

Rose Tyler

**Instructor**

**Peckham Community Centre for Continuing Education**

 

 


	46. Chapter 46

From: [doctor9lord@royalhospital.com](mailto:doctor9lord@royalhospital.com)

Sent: Wednesday, March 10, 2005 12:48 PM

To: [rtyler@pcc.org](mailto:rtyler@pcc.org)

Subject: RE: Intermediate Figure Drawing - Parent Introduction

 

Rose,

Please believe me when I tell you that you’re welcome to come to me any time.

 

Tim

 

P.S. Jenny can hardly stop talking about the gala.  She’s thrilled to show me her piece.

 

Dr. Timothy Lord, M.D. PhD

Surgeon, Royal Hope Hospital

 

 


	47. Chapter 47

From: [rtyler@pcc.org](mailto:rtyler@pcc.org)

Sent: Friday, March 13, 2005 9:17 AM

To: [doctor9lord@royalhospital.com](mailto:doctor9lord@royalhospital.com)

Subject: RE: Intermediate Figure Drawing - Parent Introduction

 

Dr. Lord,

I have to admit that I’m probably just as excited as Jenny is for the gala.  I do this nearly every other week, but I'm looking forward to meeting all of my students' families.  However, if I may be honest and know that you will be discreet, there are some families that I'm looking forward to meeting a bit more than others.

 

Rose

 

P.S. I bought a new dress as well, you can tell Jenny she isn’t the only one who broke the rules!

 

_Live your truth. Express your love. Share your enthusiasm. Take action towards your dreams. Walk your talk. Dance and sing to your music. Embrace your blessings. Make today worth remembering. ~Steve Maraboli_

 

Rose Tyler

**Instructor**

**Peckham Community Centre for Continuing Education**

 

 


	48. Chapter 48

From: [doctor9lord@royalhospital.com](mailto:doctor9lord@royalhospital.com)

Sent: Friday, March 13, 2005 6:29 PM

To: [rtyler@pcc.org](mailto:rtyler@pcc.org)

Subject: RE: Intermediate Figure Drawing - Parent Introduction

 

Rose,

Did you feed my daughter espresso before sending her back to me?  She won’t sit still!

 

Tim

 

Dr. Timothy Lord, M.D. PhD

Surgeon, Royal Hope Hospital

 

 


	49. Chapter 49

From: [rtyler@pcc.org](mailto:rtyler@pcc.org)

Sent: Friday, March 13, 2005 6:37 PM

To: [doctor9lord@royalhospital.com](mailto:doctor9lord@royalhospital.com)

Subject: RE: Intermediate Figure Drawing - Parent Introduction

 

Dr. Lord,

She’s excited!  Be excited with her!  And don’t let her have any ice cream or she’ll be up all night.

 

Rose

 

_Live your truth. Express your love. Share your enthusiasm. Take action towards your dreams. Walk your talk. Dance and sing to your music. Embrace your blessings. Make today worth remembering. ~Steve Maraboli_

 

Rose Tyler

**Instructor**

**Peckham Community Centre for Continuing Education**

 

 


	50. Chapter 50

From: [doctor9lord@royalhospital.com](mailto:doctor9lord@royalhospital.com)

Sent: Friday, March 13, 2005 6:42 PM

To: [rtyler@pcc.org](mailto:rtyler@pcc.org)

Subject: RE: Intermediate Figure Drawing - Parent Introduction

 

Rose,

Your helpful advice leaves something to be desired…

 

Tim

 

Dr. Timothy Lord, M.D. PhD

Surgeon, Royal Hope Hospital

 

 


	51. Chapter 51

From: [rtyler@pcc.org](mailto:rtyler@pcc.org)

Sent: Friday, March 13, 2005 6:49 PM

To: [doctor9lord@royalhospital.com](mailto:doctor9lord@royalhospital.com)

Subject: RE: Intermediate Figure Drawing - Parent Introduction

 

Dr. Lord,

You’re the genius here.  Surely you can figure out how to get a teenager to sit still and go to bed on time.

 

Rose

 

_Live your truth. Express your love. Share your enthusiasm. Take action towards your dreams. Walk your talk. Dance and sing to your music. Embrace your blessings. Make today worth remembering. ~Steve Maraboli_

 

Rose Tyler

**Instructor**

**Peckham Community Centre for Continuing Education**

 

 


	52. Chapter 52

From: [doctor9lord@royalhospital.com](mailto:doctor9lord@royalhospital.com)

Sent: Friday, March 13, 2005 6:59 PM

To: [rtyler@pcc.org](mailto:rtyler@pcc.org)

Subject: RE: Intermediate Figure Drawing - Parent Introduction

 

Rose,

There is a difference between interstellar flight and getting kids to do as they’re told.  One of these things is proveably possible.

 

Tim

 

Dr. Timothy Lord, M.D. PhD

Surgeon, Royal Hope Hospital

 

 


	53. Chapter 53

From: [rtyler@pcc.org](mailto:rtyler@pcc.org)

Sent: Friday, March 13, 2005 7:07 PM

To: [doctor9lord@royalhospital.com](mailto:doctor9lord@royalhospital.com)

Subject: RE: Intermediate Figure Drawing - Parent Introduction

 

Dr. Lord,

Now you’re just whining.  Leave that to Jenny.

 

Rose

 

_Live your truth. Express your love. Share your enthusiasm. Take action towards your dreams. Walk your talk. Dance and sing to your music. Embrace your blessings. Make today worth remembering. ~Steve Maraboli_

 

Rose Tyler

**Instructor**

**Peckham Community Centre for Continuing Education**

 

 


	54. Chapter 54

From: [doctor9lord@royalhospital.com](mailto:doctor9lord@royalhospital.com)

Sent: Friday, March 13, 2005 10:45 PM

To: [rtyler@pcc.org](mailto:rtyler@pcc.org)

Subject: RE: Intermediate Figure Drawing - Parent Introduction

 

Rose,

I ended up taking her out to dinner and a movie to celebrate.  She ran into a bunch of her friends and I ended up dragged to a pizza place with an arcade where they spent an hour and a half playing some dancing game with terrible music.  We didn’t make it to the movie, but she crashed when we got home, thank goodness.

 

Tim

 

Dr. Timothy Lord, M.D. PhD

Surgeon, Royal Hope Hospital

 

 


	55. Chapter 55

From: [rtyler@pcc.org](mailto:rtyler@pcc.org)

Sent: Friday, March 13, 2005 10:48 PM

To: [doctor9lord@royalhospital.com](mailto:doctor9lord@royalhospital.com)

Subject: RE: Intermediate Figure Drawing - Parent Introduction

 

Dr. Lord,

Oh the trials of fatherhood.  Bet you’re exhausted, old man.  You should get some sleep as well.

 

Rose

_Live your truth. Express your love. Share your enthusiasm. Take action towards your dreams. Walk your talk. Dance and sing to your music. Embrace your blessings. Make today worth remembering. ~Steve Maraboli_

 

Rose Tyler

**Instructor**

**Peckham Community Centre for Continuing Education**

 

 


	56. Chapter 56

From: [doctor9lord@royalhospital.com](mailto:doctor9lord@royalhospital.com)

Sent: Friday, March 13, 2005 10:55 PM

To: [rtyler@pcc.org](mailto:rtyler@pcc.org)

Subject: RE: Intermediate Figure Drawing - Parent Introduction

 

Rose,

I might just do that.  Not, however, because I’m old, but because I am a responsible adult.

 

Tim

 

Dr. Timothy Lord, M.D. PhD

Surgeon, Royal Hope Hospital

 

 


	57. Chapter 57

From: [rtyler@pcc.org](mailto:rtyler@pcc.org)

Sent: Friday, March 13, 2005 10:59 PM

To: [doctor9lord@royalhospital.com](mailto:doctor9lord@royalhospital.com)

Subject: RE: Intermediate Figure Drawing - Parent Introduction

 

Dr. Lord,

Whatever helps you get to sleep before 11 at night.

 

Rose

 

P.S.  I look forward to seeing you tomorrow.

 

_Live your truth. Express your love. Share your enthusiasm. Take action towards your dreams. Walk your talk. Dance and sing to your music. Embrace your blessings. Make today worth remembering. ~Steve Maraboli_

 

Rose Tyler

**Instructor**

**Peckham Community Centre for Continuing Education**

 

 


	58. Chapter 58

Rose smiled as she allowed her students to introduce her to their families. She loved teaching. She hadn’t thought that she would when her A-level art teacher had recommended that she apply for one of the open positions at the community centre, but she’d done it because it was either that or keep working at Henrick’s, and the department store was soul-sucking. She’d been amazed that the centre hadn’t just provided her a place to continue practicing her art, but an opportunity to do something that she really enjoyed.

These galas were her favourite part.

They’d been her idea. She’d suggested to the administration that it would provide an opportunity for lots of the different continuing education classes to advertise what they had been doing. The culinary arts classes catered, the interior design classes decorated, and the art, music, and dance classes got to put on a bit of a show. It had been a hit since moment-one and had secured Rose’s position and reputation.

Rose turned to smile at one of her older students who was introducing her to his grandchildren who had come to see their grandfather’s art. He’d drawn their mother holding the youngest of them against her hip. His technique could still use some work, but the kids were deeply impressed and their mum had tears in her eyes. As far as Rose was concerned, that made it art, technique or no.

If she were honest, however, Rose would have to admit that her entire mind wasn’t on the expo. She was a teeny-tiny bit distracted by the fact that the Lords hadn’t shown up yet. As soon as she had a moment, she checked her phone to see if she had a new message, but there was nothing and Rose felt a tiny twinge of disappointment that she quickly pushed aside.

Wild horses wouldn’t keep Jenny away from this event, and if Rose knew her father at all (and she thought she did) he would do almost anything to make his daughter happy.

“Rose!” she heard from across the room in a voice that she’d been unconsciously waiting for for hours.

Rose turned to see Jenny decked out in a blue dress with silver sparkles and a pair of strappy-but-low-heeled sandals running toward her as fast as she could. Rose was able to set down her drink just in time to catch Jenny in a hug without spilling on her.

“Jenny,” she choked out as the girl hugged the breath out of her. “I’m so glad you made it. You’re running late, and I was a bit afraid…”

“Da’ got called into work about three hours ago. There was a horrible accident and they needed him, so aunt Donna brought me, and she insisted that I couldn’t come without having a pedicure, so we did, but we ended up being a little bit late ‘cause Lee didn’t know where the centre is and we got lost.”

Rose had often wondered if Jenny ever did the “sullen teenager” thing, or if she was consistently full of energy and good cheer.

“I’m sorry to hear about your dad,” Rose said with a true feeling of disappointment that she didn’t want to examine, particularly concerning a student’s parent. “Well then, let me see your toes, and then you can introduce me to your aunt and show her your picture,” Rose said, ticking off the subjects that Jenny had mentioned in her head. 

Jenny displayed silver-painted toenails with little blue phone boxes on them. “I wanted a phone booth ‘cause Superman is my favourite,” she explained, while taking Rose’s hand and leading her over to a red-haired woman and a dark-haired man, who were both watching her with deep affection, “but the red wouldn’t have gone with my dress, so they’re blue instead. I kind of like them.”

“They’re great,” Rose said with a grin. “They suit you.”

Jenny introduced Rose to Donna and Lee but was then spotted by one of her friends and swept off to listen to one of the music classes perform a medley of Beatles songs.

“A p-p-pleasure,” Lee said in his soft voice. “J-Jenny speaks highly of you.”

“She’s wonderful,” Rose said, shaking his hand.

“Tim sends his apologies,” Donna said and gave Rose a look that held just a bit more speculation than Rose was comfortable with. “He called Jenny in a break from surgery before we got here, but he specifically asked me to apologize to you that he won’t make it.”

Rose pushed down the flutter of pleasure she felt at knowing he’d thought of her and gave her best “teacher’s smile.” “That’s very thoughtful of him, calling Jenny to let her know that he was thinking of her. They’re very close, the pair of them, aren’t they?”

Donna pursed her lips, and Rose could see that she hadn’t missed the evasion.

“Thick as th-th-thieves, the pair of them,” Lee said, aborting Donna’s attempt to question Rose further about her relationship with Tim. “Have been s-s-since the b-b-b-b-beginning.”

“Jenny’s mother isn’t around, which I think you know,” Donna said, continuing to give Rose a narrow look.

“Yes, Jenny mentioned it on our first day of class,” Rose said with a tight smile. “Would you like to see her piece? She’s worked very hard on it, though I think she’s been distracted.” Rose glanced back at the group of teenagers surrounding the musicians, sighing and swooning as though they were the original Fab Four. She grinned to herself even as she lead the Nobles off to the exposition of her art classes’ pieces.

The Introductory class pieces were the first on the wall and Donna gasped when she saw what was obviously Jenny’s piece.

“That’s amazing,” she said, eyes wide.

“P-p-perfect likeness,” Lee said, with a crooked grin. “Could b-b-be a photo.”

“It’s better than that,” Donna argued. “It looks alive. She was too nice to him though, his ears are much bigger than that.”

The picture was of a tall, lean man with short, dark hair and slightly prominent ears leaning his shoulder against a brick wall with his arms crossed over his chest. He had one booted foot crossed over the other, and there was an air of the lazy predator about him, even as his mouth seemed to hold just the barest hint of a smile. Blue eyes met the viewer dead on from any angle. Rose had been impressed with Jenny’s ability in that technique, though the girl had claimed it was an accident.

“Stunning, isn’t he?” Rose said, without thinking.

Donna raised an eyebrow that Rose affected not to notice, despite what she was sure was a hot flush rising in her cheeks.

“How old are you, Ms. Tyler?” Donna asked, shrewdly.

“Twenty-four,” Rose said, meeting the older woman’s gaze dead-on.

Suddenly Donna’s face cleared. “You are? Oh! You look younger, I might have pegged you for 19 or 20. Twenty-four isn’t so bad though.”

Rose frowned. “Not so bad for what?”

“Well, Tim is 34, and I think it’d be very difficult for the pair of you if you were more than ten years younger than him, but he’s been talking about you so much… I just thought I should check.”

“I’m not… we’re not… it isn’t… what?” Rose stammered worse than Lee.

Donna patted her arm, while Lee gave her a sympathetic look from behind his wife’s back. “Don’t worry, it’ll all be fine. Tim’s a good sort, and Jenny already adores you. You’ll do fine. Now I’m off to try some of the nibbles, they look lovely.” And with that she swept off, leaving Rose slightly dazed in her wake.

“Sorry about her,” Lee said with a grin. “She’s b-b-been trying to get T-T-T-Tim married off since Jenny was a little th-thing.”

“How does Dr. Lord feel about that?”

Lee laughed. “D-drives him mad. Always tells D-Donna he d-d-doesn’t need anyone, he and J-J-Jenny are fine.” He gave her a long, speculative look then that was reminiscent of his wife. “He’s m-mentioned you a few t-t-times recently though. It’s the only r-r-r-reason she’s thought about it.”

Rose shook her head. “She’s wasting her time. He’s never even met me. All we’ve done is exchange a few e-mails about Jenny and her classes.” She glanced around the room at all of her students that she was leaving unaccompanied. “You’ll excuse me?”

Mr. Noble nodded and Rose left.

She didn’t have enough students that she could avoid Lee and Donna Noble entirely, but Rose was able to keep her conversations with them short. When Jenny returned to the group, however, Rose found that Donna kept her romantic speculation to herself and questioned Jenny about the classes with the interest of a beloved aunt rather than a protective sister.

“Rose is just the best artist I’ve ever seen!” Jenny effused.

Rose laughed, but Donna seemed interested.

“Are any of your pieces on display tonight?” she asked.

“No, tonight is for the students, I don’t-”

“They’re in the classroom! She has loads, and not just figure-drawings but completed paintings and everything! Is it unlocked, Rose?” Jenny was bouncing with Rose’s hand in hers.

“It is, yeah, but we don’t need to-”

“Come on then!” Jenny grabbed Rose’s hand and dragged her out into the hallway toward the classroom. To Rose’s surprise, several of her students and their families were following, just as interested as the Nobles in her own work. The idea made Rose blush.

Jenny led the way into the classroom which was, in fact, largely decorated with Rose’s own pieces. Across the front of the room were line sketches of each of the students in her classes (most of the parents found these charming, and several asked if they could take their student home). On one wall were her fantasy pieces- an Asian woman that she had given blue-mottled skin and the antennae of an insect. One was a woman with blue eyes and perfect lips but no other facial features, looking like her veined skin simply stretched to the end of the canvas. There was a fantasy landscape of red rocks in front of a pink sunset with huge dragon-like birds soaring across the sky.

On another wall were realistic pieces. Amy- the other art teacher- and her fiance Rory dancing together, Rory’s face hidden in Amy’s hair, Amy’s visible only in profile, but contentment shone out of it. Rose’s best friend Mickey, leaning against the open hood of a car, grinning and shirtless. Rose’s mother done in a classic style, sitting stiff and proud, but with an odd quirk of the lips that said that she was amused by the pose.

Against the back were several unfinished pieces stacked together- London cityscapes, and a few pieces that were nothing but pencil sketches, yet to be touched by paint.

The students and families were milling about, looking at her work, and Rose was wondering if the floor of her classroom might open up to swallow her whole when Jenny gave a sudden shriek and flew across the room into the arms of a dark-haired man standing in the doorway.

“Da!”

“Blimey you’re heavy,” he complained, even as he swept her up into his arms without apparent effort.

“You’re not dressed,” Donna complained as she approached him with a bit more dignity than her niece, but a wide grin nevertheless.

“Came straight from the hospital,” he said, glancing down at his jeans, jumper, and leather jacket. “Wanted to catch as much of this as I could, though I’m cutting it late, I know.” He glanced around, sharp blue eyes taking in everything in the room. “One of these yours, Jenny? You’re better than I expected. Maybe your Rose was right to call you a prodigy.”

“No,” Jenny said, giggling. “These are Rose’s. Mine’s in the auditorium where the invite said.” She looked around and, catching sight of Rose, called her over. “Come meet my dad!”

Rose took a deep breath and realized that she had been staring since Jenny had screamed. She knew what he’d look like, she told herself, she’d been looking at those features on Jenny’s canvas for two weeks, but the reality was something else entirely.

Donna had been right, Jenny had flattered her dad a bit. The truth of him was a bit more awkward and angular, and significantly more compelling. In fact, it made Rose want to take up her pencil and draw him in action- capture the grace of his movements and the energy of his smile.

And she still hadn’t responded to Jenny’s invitation to join them, and Donna, Lee, and Jenny were all looking at her like she was a bit mad.

“Bollocks,” she muttered under her breath, then pasted on a smile and joined the little family group.

“Blimey,” Tim said, when she joined them. “You’re beautiful.”

Rose flushed, but couldn’t help a grin. Donna gasped and Jenny stared at her father in disbelief.

“Considering…” he said quickly, the tips of his overlarge ears going red.

“Er… considering what?” Rose asked, feeling the smile leave her face.

“Considering your my daughter’s teacher.”

“Tim!”

“Da!”

“D-D-D-Doctor!”

Rose started to laugh at the looks of fury, embarrassment, exasperation, and (on Lee’s face, anyway) quiet amusement that covered the faces of Dr. Lord’s family.

Dr. Lord, himself, seemed to think about what he’d said and looked suddenly horrified.

“I’m sorry, that’s not really what I meant. I just… well… I mean… When you think of a teacher, you think of someone old and dowdy and all, not someone young and…”

Rose continued to snicker, though she did make an attempt to calm herself.

“I told you she was young, Dad. And pretty!” Jenny was indignant.

“Er... “ Dr. Lord said, eloquently.

Rose finally brought herself under control. “It’s fine. Don’t scold your dad, Jenny, he’s fine.” She turned to Jenny’s father and stuck out her hand, eyes still sparkling with mischievous laughter. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Dr. Lord.”

When he took her small hand in his much larger one, Rose felt a small electric connection between them, but she ignored it, chalking it up to hormones and a distressingly long dry spell since she’d last had a boyfriend.

“Call me Doctor- I mean, don’t call me Dr. Lord,” he said, stumbling.

“Call you Doctor? Don’t mind if I do,” Rose said, and grinned her favourite grin, the one where her tongue found its way between her teeth and men tended to go soft-brained.

Dr. Lord did not disappoint.

“I-er-not what I meant,” he muttered.

Rose shrugged. “It’s lovely to meet you, Doctor,” she said, extricating her hand from his, “but I do need to get back to the auditorium and the rest of my students, and you haven’t yet seen Jenny’s piece. I think you’ll like it.”

~?~?~?~?~

The Doctor spent much of the next hour kicking himself as he surreptitiously watched the pretty art teacher. Even as he made awed noises over his daughter’s drawing of him, dodged his sister’s questions, and exchanged small-talk with his brother-in-law, Rose Tyler remained on the outside of his perceptions.

He’d known she was young. They’d talked about it! But still he’d imagined someone dowdy and academic- a teacher!

Instead she was funky and clever, with an obvious imagination (if those paintings in her classroom were to be believed) and a smile that could stop his heart. Not to mention a petite, curvy body, full lips, and a pink tongue that was nearly indecent peeking out of her wicked smile. For all that- young, attractive, artistic- she was also, obviously, a born teacher. She moved through the students and families in the auditorium giving attention and affirmation, affection and advice. No person was left out, and Tim could tell her students by the friendly awe in which they each seemed to view her, his daughter included.

And there was the subject of Jenny, and for that he was pathetically grateful. He’d been worrying about his daughter for months. He’d enrolled her that year in a boarding school in the North that focused on mathematics and engineering- both subjects in which she had shown prodigious proficiency. She had, after six months, called him in tears to tell him that she hated it- the people were cold and cruel, and she couldn’t seem to make friends, and she wanted to come home right away.

He’d agreed, remembering his own years in private schools- how much he’d hated it and how much he’d wished someone would save him from them. Jenny had been relieved to be back in London and back with him, but had quickly grown bored and restless with her schoolwork. Tim hadn’t had any idea how to manage both her mind and her soul until she’d walked in with a pamphlet of classes offered by the community centre and told him she was signing up for drawing lessons.

It had been Rose’s attention and flattery that had finally calmed her, and in the last two weeks, Tim had finally felt that he had his daughter back. He owed Rose Tyler his profoundest gratitude, but instead of saying anything of the sort, he’d insulted her on sight.

He sighed and shook his head for what Donna could have told him was the 15th time in the last hour.

“Oh, Spaceman,” Donna said, employing her favourite epithet for him, “I have something I wanted to show you. Rose drew pictures of each of her students and had them up in her classroom. I thought you’d like hers of Jenny, so I asked if I could bring it to you.”

Tim took the paper that Donna held out to him. It was thick, slightly rough drawing paper, clearly torn from a sketchbook and a first draft, but his daughter looked up at him from the page, clear as life.

Rose had drawn her side-on, peeking out the corner of her eye. Her mouth wasn’t smiling, but her eyes were. It was an expression that he had seen all too often- his daughter thinking of mischief or plotting something she knew the adults around her would disapprove. She was beautiful.

“Thank you so much for coming, everyone!” Rose’s voice came over the sound system, magnified by the microphone she held. “It’s been a wonderful set of classes, and we’re all so glad to have met you! I hope you all come back and take more classes here at the centre, but for now, congratulations on having finished these!”

The audience cheered and laughed, and Rose dismissed them, asking the art students to take their pieces home with them.

“Come on, Dad, we have to go talk to Rose,” Jenny said, tugging his hand, dragging him toward her teacher who had just approached the food table and was chatting with someone who was cleaning up the leftovers.

They approached in time to hear Rose speak.

“I didn’t get to try anything this time, and you had some new nibbles. I’m so disappointed.”

“Did you get anything to eat?” the teacher from the culinary class asked her.

“No, too busy. I’ll get something after we’ve cleaned up.”

“Not a chance, Rosie. You did all the set-up tonight practically by yourself. You’re going to go get some food and take it easy for awhile. You’re back again tomorrow with your bloody models. Don’t you ever get a day off?”

“What would I do with a day off? I’d go mad.”

“You might actually finish some of your paintings.”

Rose shrugged. “I might, that’s true, but the walls in my classroom are full already.”

“That boy-model of yours said he knew someone’d buy one of your paintings if you’d just finish one.”

Rose shrugged again, still smiling.

The other girl sighed. “What matters just now is that you need to get some food and some rest before you start it all again tomorrow, sweetheart. Go on, I’ll get this place cleared out, don’t you worry.”

“You should come to dinner with us, Rose!” Jenny piped up. “Da’s going to take me out to celebrate, and he owes you an apology for what he said earlier.” She glared up at her father as she said this last.

Rose turned to look at the pair of them, and her smile deepened when she looked at Jenny. “He does nothing of the sort. That’s lovely of you, Jenny, but I’m sure you and your da would much rather spend the evening together than with me. I’ll grab some fish and chips on my way home, don’t you worry.”

“It wouldn’t be a problem,” Tim said, making his daughter smile. “I do owe you an apology, and we’d love for you to come to dinner with us.”

“It’s really fine-”

“Come on Rose, please? I want to know about the next class, and the other classes you teach and your paintings and-”

“If it’s the fish and chips you’ll miss, we can go somewhere that serves them,” Tim said with a smile.

“Ooh, yeah, there’s a great chippy by our place! I go there with my friends all the time after school! Please?”

Tim raised an eyebrow at her and could see the young woman’s resolve crumbling against the combined power of himself and his daughter. He’d have felt bad about pressuring her, but he was too much looking forward to spending more time with her to feel guilt.

“All right, all right!” she said, laughing. “I’m out-manned, I can see it. Let me grab my bag and we can go.”

~?~?~?~?~

Tim Lord hadn’t laughed so much in ages. Somehow Rose brought out the best in Jenny and in him. She’d teased stories out of the pair of them- stories of Donna, stories of Lee, stories of Jenny’s friends, and Tim’s interns.

She didn’t talk about herself much, though he did discover that she had a mother living in the area and had grown up there in Peckham.

As he drove her home, Jenny fell asleep in the back seat of the car, the emotions of the night finally taking her down, and the car fell quiet save for Rose’s soft-spoken instructions.

Tim felt chagrined as he realized that Rose lived less than a block away from the school, but he’d taken her halfway across town for dinner.

“Bit silly,” he said. “You’d have been home for ages by now if we hadn’t forced you to go out with us, even stopping to get chips somewhere.”

“I wouldn’t have missed it for the world, Doctor,” she said warmly as he pulled up outside her building. “I’ll see you tomorrow, at the meet-and-greet?”

“Yeah, of course…” he said, trailing off.

“What is it?”

“After tomorrow, when do you suppose I’ll see you again?”

She smiled again. “There’s the next gala, after Jenny’s next class, of course…”

“But… between now and then?”

Well,” she said, her smile deepening, “you could always e-mail me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Never fear, my lovelies. This is not the end of this story, just the end of this bit. I don't know precisely when the next bit will come into being, but I do assure you that it will. And some of the later bits will actually be pretty saucy as well!
> 
> Thank you all for reading, and happy birthday, Fleur!


	59. Chapter 59

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Finally, an update for the birthday fic of the lovely Fleurdeneuf, who is feeling ill today. My prescription is to take two fanfiction updates and call me in the morning.**
> 
> **On the other sites, I posted this all as one chapter. It's kind of a pain to do a chapter per e-mail, so I'm switching formats this time around.**

From: doctor9lord@royalhospital.com

Sent: Sunday, March 14, 2005 12:15 AM

To: rtyler@pcc.org

Subject: Hello

Rose,

I just wanted to tell you how wonderful it was to meet you this evening, and how much I look forward to seeing you again tomorrow.

Tim

Dr. Timothy Lord, M.D. PhD

Surgeon, Royal Hope Hospital

* * *

 

Dr. Timothy Lord was in no way nervous about seeing a girl. He had absolutely not checked his phone every 10 minutes exactly over the course of the entire day to see if his e-mail had been answered. He had not shaved with extreme care after showering that afternoon. He had not donned a jumper that he never wore simply because, when she'd given it to him, his daughter had told him that it matched his eyes.

" _Girls like that, Da'."_

" _I refuse to take dating advice from my 15-year-old daughter."_

" _You've got to take it from someone, or you'll just be some lonely old man pining for my letters once I'm gone."_

" _Hah! You think I'm not counting down the days until I have some peace and quiet? I've got one of those prison calendars they show on the telly marking off the days. Day you turn 18, you're out of here, no looking back, you see if you're not!"_

"What are you grinning about, Da'?"

Tim glanced over at his daughter in the passenger seat, giving him an odd look.

"Just thinking about when you gave me this jumper," he said, shrugging as though it were nothing.

Jenny snorted. "Nice memory is it? You should wear it more often then. Might meet a nice girl if you did instead of all those dark, depressing colours. Rose says-"

"Ms. Tyler is far too young for me," the Doctor interrupted.

Jenny turned and gave him a peculiar look, like her mother used to when he'd said or done something that had revealed more of himself than he'd intended. "Yeah," she said, slowly, "I guess she is, that's true. That's not what I was going to say though."

"Sorry," Tim said, gruffly. "My mistake. Go on with your story then."

Jenny didn't, just gave him a long, level look. "Her mum's single, you know," she said, after a long moment.

"Her…  _mum_?" Horrified at the thought, Tim missed the small smile pass over his daughter's face. "She… uh… she told you that?" Did Rose mention her mother to his daughter in an attempt to set them up? Did she think of him as a father-figure? The thought made the soft cashmere of his jumper suddenly feel like steel wool against his skin.

"Well, no," Jenny said, hiding her smile. Her dad in mum-panic was always amusing. "She mentioned it to a friend of hers who stopped by one day toward the end of class. She just mentioned that her mum was going on a date, and he asked who with, and she told him it was some new bloke."

"He?" her dad asked, suspiciously.

Jenny's brow creased in confusion. "He who?"

"Rose's friend was a bloke?"

Jenny blinked in surprise. "Yeah… his name was… either Mickey or Ricky, I can't recall. But we were talking about Rose's mum. You might see if she'd give you her number tonight."

"Apparently she's got some boyfriend named Ricky."

Jenny shook her head. "No, Da', keep up. Rose can give you her mum's number tonight. And I don't think Rose is dating Ricky anyway, he was making fun of her that everyone had a date but her, and she said she had a date with Scully and Mulder." Jenny frowned for a moment. "Think we should introduce her to Uncle Jack? He really likes the X-Files too."

"You think I'd inflict your Uncle Jack on a nice lady like Rose?" Tim asked, though he felt himself relax to discover that Rose probably hadn't hidden some boyfriend from him. He'd told her everything important about his history, and she'd probably learned more than he was comfortable with from his sister and her husband the other night.

"You always say that, but Uncle Jack is great," Jenny said, stoutly loyal.

"Yeah, all right," Tim said with a smile, "your Uncle Jack is great, even if he was a scoundrel when we were younger. He's a good bloke."

"And it's not very nice when people you care about are alone. You worry about them."

Tim raised an eyebrow. "You sound like your Aunt Donna."

"Well we've talked about it."

Tim rolled his eyes. "See if I let you spend the day with her again. Don't you worry about Jack though, he'll never be alone unless he wants to be, I promise you that."

"Yeah, I guess you're right. He's seeing someone called Ianto now, and he made noises about bringing him around to supper some night, so they're probably serious."

"He mentioned Ianto to me too," Tim said, surprised. "You're right, that  _does_ sound serious."

Jenny grinned, then sighed again. "But that means Rose is alone, and you too. You know," she said, glancing at him from the corner of her eye, "if you weren't so convinced she's too young for you, the pair of you might be nice together. She might be able to talk you into dressing better since I don't seem to be able to."

"I'm sure your Rose is just as capable as Jack of finding someone, if she wants," Tim said quietly. He seemed to be having trouble with the fit of his jumper which seemed, suddenly, as though it were far too tight over his lungs, making it difficult to get a full breath.

"I dunno, she doesn't seem that interested in getting out. You heard her talking to that girl last night, she's always working."

"Nothing wrong with a good work-ethic. You know that. It's admirable for a woman Rose's age to be so focused on her career."

Jenny sighed. "Never mind," she muttered. "The pair of you can die alone for all I care."

"What was that?"

"Nothing. Good, we're here!"

~?~?~?~?~

"Ms. Tyler?"

Rose closed her eyes and took a long, deep breath, seeking patience, before she turned to face the woman trying to get her attention. There was one (sometimes more) person like this in every class, and it seemed that Jeanne Poisson was the candidate for this session.

"Jeanne," Rose said, her cheerful teacher's smile in place, "please call me Rose."

"Rose then. I have to tell you that I'm not certain about this."

Jeanne was a lovely woman, about 10 years older than Rose, an ex-model who seemed to find London a bit of a disappointment after 15 years in Paris. She had not, however, taken on continental attitudes towards sex in those years, as had been evidenced by the e-mails that Rose had received from her ever since she'd sent the welcome e-mail to the class.

"I just don't understand why you think we need two models. Can't we see what is important on just one?"

Rose did not roll her eyes. She did not clench her teeth. She did not shake the woman in front of her in frustration. She was quite proud of herself for all of these things. She just smiled and explained, "the human body comes in many forms. For this class I have two very different looking people, as you can see, Martha is petite and slim, while Jack is much taller and broader. We will be able to examine the difference in muscle configuration as well as the different ways that the models move to help you to draw them better. In my more advanced classes, I have several models of both sexes, and we draw them together, but for this one we'll be focusing on one at a time."

"I think it immoral," Jeanne said, shaking her head. "I think it wrong for women to look at other women naked, and I think you should have the classes split by sex. The women should draw your friend Jacque," she said Jack's name with a faux-French accent that nearly made Rose wince, "and the men can draw your friend Mary."

Rose blinked. "It's  _Martha_ that you have an issue with?"

Jeanne looked surprised. "Of course. I just don't think it's right. I'm not comfortable with any of it."

Rose was shocked. Jeanne had never said anything about the fact that it was  _female_ nudity that caused her objections. In general, when Rose had students (or the parents of students) who raised issues with her use of nude models, it was those models of the  _opposite_ gender with which they were uncomfortable.

"I… Honestly, Jeanne, I'm really not sure what to tell you. If it makes you that uncomfortable, you don't have to come on the days when Martha is modeling for us. There's no grade for this class since you're not coming through the university or one of the schools. I can even ask administration if they can give you a partial refund for the class if you like."

Jeanne looked a bit happier, but still dubious. "But you don't think it immoral to have young women looking at other naked women? What if they turn out to be…" she glanced around the room, then lowered her voice, "lesbians?" she whispered, dramatically.

Rose failed to keep herself from rolling her eyes this time. "I don't see how that's any more an issue than straight women drawing naked men, straight men drawing naked women, or bisexual people of either gender drawing anyone naked. Looking at naked people doesn't automatically assume that one ends up sleeping with them." Rose glanced over her shoulder at Jack, who was flirting his way through her new class with his usual finesse. "No matter how much they might want you to."

Jeanne seemed surprised by this. "You mean that you and Jacque haven't…"

"No. And we're never going to. Interestingly enough, I believe Jack is seeing someone these days." Rose wouldn't have wished this woman on her worst enemy, and absolutely not her best friend. She might have taken just a bit too much pleasure in the next bit, however. "A nice bloke by the name of Ianto. Jack is trying to talk him into posing for one of my other classes, but he's a bit shy."

Jeanne looked shocked and appalled. Rose glanced at the door and was thrilled to see that Jenny and Tim Lord had just arrived. "I need to go greet some more students, Jeanne. If you have any issues with my curriculum, please feel free to bring it up to the director of the community centre, Zoe Heriot."

Rose would have loved to be a fly on the wall when Dr. Heriot tore Jeanne a new one, but she'd just have to imagine it. She had a feeling that Ms. Poisson would be dropping her class and couldn't be sorry about it.

As she crossed the room toward them, Rose caught Tim's eye, and felt a flutter of pleasure in her stomach as he grinned at her. She grinned back and picked up the pace to meet them when she was stopped by Jack's voice from behind her.

"Doc? What are you doing here?"

Tim's eyes, which had been locked on Rose's, flew to the space behind her shoulder and widened in shock. While he stood gobsmacked, however, Jenny moved into gear.

"Jack!" she called, and rushed to where he had joined Rose.

Jack laughed and pulled Jenny into a hug. "How are you, heartbreaker?" he asked, pulling away and grinning down at her. "Jeeze, seems like it's been forever. Remind me when you're finally old enough for me to whisk you away and marry you on some beach in Aruba?"

"Sometime around the twelfth of never," Tim said, finally joining the trio. "What are you doing here, Harkness?"

"Er… Doctor, Jenny, obviously you know my male model, Jack," Rose said, feeling like she was intruding on a family scene.

"Really?" Jenny said, her eyes going wide.

"Should have known," Tim said, shaking his head. "Any excuse to drop trou' with you, eh Jack?"

Jack shrugged. "You could always sign up and finally see what you've been missing all these years, Doc. I didn't know you two knew Rose though." He turned to her. "You never mentioned both of my favorite blondes were in the same place at the same time every other day for the past two weeks. I feel like I've been cheated!"

Both the Doctor and Rose rolled their eyes in concert, which made Jenny giggle and Jack raise an eyebrow in surprise.

"How did you two meet?" the Doctor asked, glancing between Jack and Rose. He thought Jack had mentioned all of his female friends- either in terms of sexual conquest or as options for the Doctor to date if ever he got out of his own head enough to do it- but he couldn't recall ever being told about Rose Tyler.

"I swept her off her feet!" Jack said, dramatically, pulling Rose into a waltz hold and then dipping her over his arm.

"Cut it out, Jack," Rose said, giggling.

He set her back on her feet, grinning, and Rose set out to ease the confusion that was etched into the Doctor's expressive face.

"I was auditing a ballroom dance class that he taught back when I first started here, and when I made some comment about Moonlight Serenade being a good choice, he pulled me up to demonstrate."

"I tried to talk her into private lessons," Jack said, waggling his eyebrows suggestively at her, "but she refused. First person I've ever known was immune to my charm. Except you, Doc, but I'm not convinced you aren't some hyper-evolved alien beyond the need for…" Jack trailed off, glancing at Jenny who was watching him with an oddly adult smile. "Companionship," Jack finished, significantly.

"If he doesn't need  _companionship_ ," Jenny said, sweetly, "how do you explain me?"

"Genetic anomaly," Jack answered quickly. "Explains the name, anyway."

Jenny stuck her tongue out at Jack just as a voice from across the room called, "mon ange!"

"Oh my god, you're kidding me," Jenny muttered as Jeanne Poisson fluttered across the room in a waft of gold silk. "What the hell is  _she_ doing here?"

"You know her?" Rose asked quietly. Then, as Jeanne reached the Doctor and kissed him twice on both cheeks before settling herself at his side, wrapped around his arm, she added, "your father seems to, anyway."

"That's never…" Jack said, trailing off and looking at Jenny in horror.

"Reinette," Jenny confirmed.

"Reinette?" Rose asked, confused.

"The little queen," Jack translated. "When Jenny was about 3," Jack rested a hand on Jenny's shoulder in comfort, "Tim took up with her. I don't think he was ever terribly serious, but he needed… something. Someone, maybe."

"So much for being evolved beyond companionship," Rose muttered.

"She was alright back in the early days when Jenny was little. They weren't very serious, but she was around often enough that she and Jenny were friends."

"I loved her. Thought  _she_ must be my mum," Jenny said, bitterly.

Jack wrapped an arm around her shoulder, and Rose reached over to rub her back.

"Anyway, she'd been modeling in the UK for awhile, but that's about the time she got the offer to go to Paris. Jenny was four or five. She promised that she'd keep in touch. Come back when she could. All that. And she managed for about three months."

Jenny snorted.

"About that time, one of the tabloids got pictures of her kissing some French politician. Tim called her to ask what the deal was with all that, and she said that it was just… what people did in France. The Doc isn't really one to be played a fool, but he didn't want Jenny to lose Jeanne. He ended things with her-"

"Sort of," Jenny spat.

"What?" Jack turned to her and frowned.

"She's been back a couple of times- more stuck-up and bitchy each time- and I'm pretty sure they've ended up in bed together a dozen times or so. Idiot," she muttered, glaring at her father.

"Jen," Jack said, softly, warningly.

She sighed. "I don't blame them, I guess. I don't think they like each other very much, not really, but it's easy, I guess. Get laid without all the extra effort of dating and flirting and… all that business."

"Oh, sweetheart," Jack said, gently.

"I didn't know she was back in town either," Jenny continued. "Any idea how long she's been here?"

Jack shook his head, but Jenny saw that Rose flushed.

"About a year," Rose said, to Jenny's pointed look.

Jenny paled. "Right about the time he sent me up to the academy?" she said, quietly.

"Jenny, I'm sure your father wouldn't…" Rose began.

"He wouldn't, but she would," Jenny interrupted with venom.

"No," Jack said, certainly. "Jen, I've known your dad a very long time, and while he's a secretive bloke, so I don't know everything, I do know this- he would never let that woman tell him what to do with regards to you, and he has not been getting laid any time in the last 18 months at a minimum."

That cracked Jenny's cold, murderous glare, and she giggled weakly.

"That's my girl," Jack murmured, rubbing her back.

Rose and Jack glanced over at the other two adults. The Doctor had an odd grimace on his face- as though he were trying to smile, but he couldn't quite manage it. Jeanne was smiling, however, perfect white teeth in a perfectly-made-up face, and fluttering black lashes.

"Come on then," Rose said, resolutely turning her back on the slightly sickening sight, "let's go talk to Martha."

The rest of the meet-and-greet passed without incident and without Rose speaking again to Dr. Lord. She kept herself surrounded by her new students and old friends and carefully avoided even looking at him.

It wasn't as though it mattered to her beyond the fact that it bothered her student, she told herself sternly. There wasn't anything between herself and the Doctor besides a casual friendship born of a shared affection for Jenny (and, apparently, Jack) and a few late-night e-mailed confessions.

Nothing at all to make her gut twist with jealousy every time she thought of Jeanne with her hands resting lightly on the light blue jumper over his chest. The jumper that made his eyes that much brighter and made her fingertips itch for her paintbrush.

Jenny was suddenly beside her, interrupting her thoughts, arms about her waist, hugging her.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Rose," she said with a smile.

"Of course. I look forward to it. You give me a call or shoot me an e-mail if… well if you need to talk or anything, okay?"

The fervency with which Jenny thanked her told Rose that, while the girl had managed to put on a brave face through the party, she was still upset with her dad.

"Go on then, it'll be okay, I promise," Rose said, hugging her back.

Rose watched her catch up to her dad at the door. The Doctor turned to wave to her, giving her a tentative smile. Rose did a quick glance through the room and saw that Jeanne was already gone without a single further word to her, and raised her hand in farewell, her professional smile plastered in place.

Once the rest of the class had left, talking excitedly about the coming sessions, Rose, Martha, and Jack began cleaning up the room.

"Alright, what happened?" Martha asked, hands on her hips and glaring at Rose and Jack.

"What?" the pair of them asked together, eyes wide with shock and (in Jack's case) feigned innocence.

"For the first 30 minutes everything seemed to be fine. Then suddenly Rose is acting like an android with a malfunctioning emotion chip and Jack is acting like there's a bomb about to go off if he does anything. So what happened?"

Rose sighed and returned to cleaning as Jack explained the wicked web of the Lord's relationships.

"Okay," Martha said, once Jack had finished, "that explains you. What about Rose?"

"What?" Rose said, frowning.

"Look, Jenny's a really great girl and all, but you've only known her two weeks and there's no way you let every student's personal life get to you like that! You'd go crazy! Half of your students are from the Estate!"

Rose blushed, and Jack's eyes widened.

"Oh my god, you're interested in the Doctor?"

"No!" Rose objected, quickly. Too quickly, she realized as Jack's eyes glowed with his innate love of gossip.

"But how do you even know him?" Martha asked, practically. "Jenny, yeah, but the Doctor?"

Rose leaned back against the wall and gently hit the back of her head against it. "I don't know him. We've been exchanging e-mails since Jenny started the class and… well I guess I  _thought_ I knew him, but two weeks of e-mails and one dinner out with him and his daughter-"

"He took you out to dinner with Jenny?" Jack asked, his eyes narrowing in speculation.

"Last night, after the gala. Jenny invited me and he… agreed, I guess."

"Rose, the Doc adores Jenny, but he's totally introverted. He wouldn't invite a stranger to a family dinner, even if she begged. He did that 'cause he  _likes_ you."

"Mmm, doesn't seem to like her enough to tell her about his girlfriend," Martha said.

"Reinette-"

"Why do you call her that?" Rose interrupted.

"It's something Jenny and I picked up the second or third time she came back when-"

"What is your connection to Jenny and the Doctor, exactly, Jack?" Rose asked, realizing for the first time that she didn't know.

Jack gave a half-smile. "I'm Uncle Jack."

Rose looked him over carefully. While they both had dark hair and blue eyes, there was no similarity between the Doctor and Jack, though she thought there might be a bit between Jack and Jenny in the shape of the face.

"Not his brother," Rose hazarded.

"No, Jenny's mum's brother."

"Romana?"

Jack looked at her, surprised. "Did Donna or Jenny tell you about her?"

"No, the Doctor did."

"Rose, he never tells  _anyone_ about Romana."

Rose shrugged. "He said that, yeah. Still didn't say anything about Jeanne."

"That's because Jeanne doesn't mean anything. If he told you about Romana… that's important, Rosie. I figured he'd never tell anyone about her."

"Did he tell Jeanne?"

Jack shook his head. "They fought about that sometimes, that the Doc wouldn't say anything about Jenny's mum. One of those simmering resentments that had her heading to Paris and kissing the first powerful man she met. But he told  _you_ about her. And he hadn't even officially  _met_ you."

"It's easy to confess to words on a screen when you don't imagine the person behind them," Martha said. "He should have mentioned that he had a girlfriend if he was serious."

Jack made a frustrated noise. "He doesn't have a girlfriend, he has a leech."

"Leech or not, he's involved with someone."

""Today's the first time he's seen her in two years, I'd bet my Firefly DVDs on it."

Rose snorted a laugh and Martha rolled her eyes.

"Honestly though, Rose, it's been two weeks of e-mails. I know you like Jenny but… well… he's at least 10 years older than you, and you're only… what? Eight years older than his daughter?" Martha looked at Rose in some sympathy.

"They're both adults, and if Jenny doesn't mind I don't see why we would!" Jack said.

"Do you know if she doesn't? Have you asked?"

"No, but I can."

"Oh my god, don't!" Rose said, finally re-joining the conversation. "Don't make this bigger than it is, Jack! Martha's right, it's been two weeks of e-mails and one night where we actually saw each other. He's just the parent of one of my students."

"Don't pretend you aren't attracted to him," Jack warned.

"I'm not going to. He's gorgeous, but Martha's right again that he's a lot older than me, and his daughter is  _not_ a lot younger than me. He probably doesn't even think that way about me."

Jack snorted, but Rose shook her head.

"Honestly, Jack, it doesn't matter. All of this, it's stupid. I barely know him, and he barely knows me. His daughter's a student and it's all just… nothing."

Jack kept his mouth shut on the subject until they were finished cleaning up the area, but once Martha had driven off and Rose started walking toward her place, and he was alone in the parking lot, he pulled out his mobile phone.

_I didn't realize Jeanne was back in town. You going to see her again?_

_~Captain Jack_

~?~?~?~?~

From: star_light_star_bright@gmail.com

Sent: Sunday, March 14, 2005 7:45 PM

To: rtyler@pcc.org

Subject: It's Jenny- u said I could e-mail if I wanted

hi rose! i wanted to tell u that my dad says that he and reinette are NOT (he yelled that bit) dating and that he didn't know she was in town.

he asked about u tho. is there something going on between you and my dad cause that would be pretty cool. you're my favorite teacher ever.

Jenny

* * *

 

From: doctor9lord@royalhospital.com

Sent: Sunday, March 14, 2005 7:57 PM

To: rtyler@pcc.org

Subject: About today...

Rose,

I suppose you probably got most of the sordid details from Jack today, and possibly some from Jenny, but I thought I might set the record as straight as possible.

Yes, I dated Jeanne. It was many years back and we were never terribly serious, but I thought Jenny needed a female role model and, frankly, I was lonely. Things ended between us officially when Jenny was 5 but, as I'm sure she told you, there have been… incidents since. I'm not proud of that fact, but I don't want to be dishonest with you.

I did not know she was back in town permanently. Today is the first time I've seen her in two years and it was NOT a nice surprise. I felt as though, perhaps, I should clear the air between us. I wasn't able to speak to you again today, but I wanted you to know all of this.

Tim

Dr. Timothy Lord, M.D. PhD

Surgeon, Royal Hope Hospital

* * *

 

From: rtyler@pcc.org

Sent: Sunday, March 14, 2005 8:03 PM

To: UnionJack@gmail.com

Subject: Are you responsible for this, Jack Harkness?

Attached: It's Jenny- u said I could e-mail if I wanted.msg, About today...msg

Jack Harkness, I told you not to do this!

Rose

_Live your truth. Express your love. Share your enthusiasm. Take action towards your dreams. Walk your talk. Dance and sing to your music. Embrace your blessings. Make today worth remembering. ~Steve Maraboli_

Rose Tyler

Instructor

Peckham Community Centre for Continuing Education

* * *

 

From: UnionJack@gmail.com

Sent: Sunday, March 14, 2005 8:07 PM

To: rtyler@pcc.org

Subject: re: Are you responsible for this, Jack Harkness?

Not me, Rosie, I've got nothing to do with this. How about you find out WHY he told you all that?

Jack

* * *

 

From: rtyler@pcc.org

Sent: Sunday, March 14, 2005 8:25 PM

To: doctor9lord@royalhospital.com

Subject: Re: About today...

Dr. Lord,

I do appreciate your candour, but I assure you it's unnecessary. Your relationship with Jeanne is none of my business save in where it might make Jenny uncomfortable to share a class with her.

Rose

_Live your truth. Express your love. Share your enthusiasm. Take action towards your dreams. Walk your talk. Dance and sing to your music. Embrace your blessings. Make today worth remembering. ~Steve Maraboli_

Rose Tyler

Instructor

Peckham Community Centre for Continuing Education

* * *

 

From: rtyler@pcc.org

Sent: Sunday, March 14, 2005 8:26 PM

To: star_light_star_bright@gmail.com

Subject: Re: It's Jenny- u said I could e-mail if I wanted

Hi Jenny,

I'm very glad you're feeling better about your dad. As far as there being anything between him and I, no, there isn't.

I look forward to seeing you tomorrow!

Rose

_Live your truth. Express your love. Share your enthusiasm. Take action towards your dreams. Walk your talk. Dance and sing to your music. Embrace your blessings. Make today worth remembering. ~Steve Maraboli_

Rose Tyler

Instructor

Peckham Community Centre for Continuing Education

* * *

 

From: star_light_star_bright@gmail.com

Sent: Sunday, March 14, 2005 8:29 PM

To: rtyler@pcc.org

Subject: Re: It's Jenny- u said I could e-mail if I wanted

dad just came by and asked if it would be ok with me if he asked you to dinner. i said yes. are you going to say no if he asks?

Jenny

* * *

 

From: doctor9lord@royalhospital.com

Sent: Sunday, March 14, 2005 8:35 PM

To: rtyler@pcc.org

Subject: Re: About today...

Rose,

I would like my relationships to be your business, at least a little bit. I was wondering, when we arrived at the meet-and-greet today what your response would be if I were to ask you to dinner. Things were a bit derailed by Jack and Jeanne, and I'd never have done so without approval from Jenny, but the former two are not part of this conversation, and the latter has given me her enthusiastic approval, so I was wondering if you were free on Wednesday evening to go to dinner with me?

Tim

Dr. Timothy Lord, M.D. PhD

Surgeon, Royal Hope Hospital

* * *

 

From: rtyler@pcc.org

Sent: Sunday, March 14, 2005 8:36 PM

To: doctor20jones@royalhospital.com

Subject: HELP!

Attachments: Re: About today….msg

Martha, I need advice!

Rose

_Live your truth. Express your love. Share your enthusiasm. Take action towards your dreams. Walk your talk. Dance and sing to your music. Embrace your blessings. Make today worth remembering. ~Steve Maraboli_

Rose Tyler

Instructor

Peckham Community Centre for Continuing Education

* * *

 

From: doctor20jones@royalhospital.com

Sent: Sunday, March 14, 2005 8:45 PM

To: rtyler@pcc.org

Subject: HELP!

Rose,

Don't be an idiot. My objections were only that his daughter might not be happy about it and that he hadn't told you about the girlfriend. Apparently he's telling you about the not-girlfriend now and the daughter is fine with it. You think he's cute and you haven't been on a date in over a year.

GO.

Martha

Martha Jones

Resident, Royal Hope Hospital

* * *

 

From: rtyler@pcc.org

Sent: Sunday, March 14, 2005 9:07 PM

To: doctor9lord@royalhospital.com

Subject: Re: About today...

Dr. Lord,

I would be very pleased to go to dinner with you on Wednesday. Thank you.

Rose

_Live your truth. Express your love. Share your enthusiasm. Take action towards your dreams. Walk your talk. Dance and sing to your music. Embrace your blessings. Make today worth remembering. ~Steve Maraboli_

Rose Tyler

Instructor

Peckham Community Centre for Continuing Education

* * *

 

From: rtyler@pcc.org

Sent: Sunday, March 14, 2005 9:08 PM

To: star_light_star_bright@gmail.com

Subject: Re: It's Jenny- u said I could e-mail if I wanted

Hi Jenny,

I suppose we've now proven that I would say yes.

Are you sure you're okay with this?

Rose

_Live your truth. Express your love. Share your enthusiasm. Take action towards your dreams. Walk your talk. Dance and sing to your music. Embrace your blessings. Make today worth remembering. ~Steve Maraboli_

Rose Tyler

Instructor

Peckham Community Centre for Continuing Education

* * *

 

Rose Tyler couldn't see it, but both of the Lords were in their flat across town, dancing a victory dance together.

~?~?~?~?~

Jack Harkness recieved the following text:

_No, I'm not seeing Reinette. I'm seeing Rose Tyler on Wednesday._

_~The Doctor_

Followed shortly by this one:

_I haven't been on a real date in ten years, Jack. What the hell am I supposed to do?_

_~The Doctor_

~?~?~?~?~

Martha Jones' phone went off.

"Jones."

"Martha… we have to go shopping. I swear I have nothing to wear on this date."

Martha laughed.


	60. Chapter 60

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Sometimes something horrible happens to someone you love, but they are way too far away for you to do anything at all for them.  You couldn't fix it if you were there, but you could at least give them an in-person hug and help with anything that comes along, or go through it with them.**
> 
>  
> 
> **From a distance, you don't have a lot of things you can do to help but keep your phone on waiting for a text, and write something fluffy and hope it makes them feel at least a little bit better.**

From:   
[ doctor9lord@royalhospital.com ](mailto:doctor9lord@royalhospital.com)

Sent: Tuesday, March 16, 2005 8:19 AM

To:  [ rtyler@pcc.org ](mailto:rtyler@pcc.org)

Subject: Tomorrow evening

I admit that I’m a nervous wreck about this.  I realize that I’ve never asked if you have any food allergies or anything that I should consider before choosing a dinner location.  Is there anything that you don’t like?

 

Am I acting like a teenager?  I think I might be.  I confess that I can’t seem to find it in myself to care.  I’m looking forward to this very much.

 

Dr. Timothy Lord, M.D. PhD

Surgeon, Royal Hope Hospital

 

\-----------------------------------------------------

 

From:  [ rtyler@pcc.org ](mailto:rtyler@pcc.org)

Sent: Tuesday, March 16, 2005 8:23 AM

To: doctor9lord@royalhospital.com

Subject: Re: Tomorrow evening

 

Doctor,

I have no food allergies and, while I haven’t been as adventurous as I’d like to be in trying the foods of different cultures, I like food in general and will, I’m sure, be pleased with your suggestion.

 

Rose

Live your truth. Express your love. Share your enthusiasm. Take action towards your dreams. Walk your talk. Dance and sing to your music. Embrace your blessings. Make today worth remembering. ~Steve Maraboli

 

Rose Tyler

Instructor

Peckham Community Centre for Continuing Education

 

\-----------------------------------------------------

 

From:  [ doctor9lord@royalhospital.com ](mailto:doctor9lord@royalhospital.com)

Sent: Tuesday, March 16, 2005 8:31 AM

To:  [ rtyler@pcc.org ](mailto:rtyler@pcc.org)

Subject: Tomorrow evening

 

Rose,

Sounds like the space station orbiting the Earth in the year 200,000 during the Fourth Great and Bountiful Human Empire is booked solid.  No alien food for us.

 

How about Spanish then?  I’ve a friend I met in Barcelona once who opened a restaurant in the city.

 

Tim

 

Dr. Timothy Lord, M.D. PhD

Surgeon, Royal Hope Hospital

 

\-----------------------------------------------------

 

From:  [ rtyler@pcc.org ](mailto:rtyler@pcc.org)

Sent: Tuesday, March 16, 2005 8:40 AM

To: doctor9lord@royalhospital.com

Subject: Re: Tomorrow evening

 

The Fourth Great and Bountiful Human Empire sounds like a fifth date location anyway.

 

Spanish sounds amazing.  You’ll have to tell me what’s good, I’ve never had it!

 

Rose

Live your truth. Express your love. Share your enthusiasm. Take action towards your dreams. Walk your talk. Dance and sing to your music. Embrace your blessings. Make today worth remembering. ~Steve Maraboli

 

Rose Tyler

Instructor

Peckham Community Centre for Continuing Education

 

\-----------------------------------------------------

 

From:  [ doctor9lord@royalhospital.com ](mailto:doctor9lord@royalhospital.com)

Sent: Tuesday, March 16, 2005 8:42 AM

To:  [ rtyler@pcc.org ](mailto:rtyler@pcc.org)

Subject: Tomorrow evening

 

I didn’t realize that the dates were so carefully designated.  You’re thinking we’ll get to a fifth date then?

 

Tim

 

Dr. Timothy Lord, M.D. PhD

Surgeon, Royal Hope Hospital

 

\-----------------------------------------------------

 

From:  [ rtyler@pcc.org ](mailto:rtyler@pcc.org)

Sent: Tuesday, March 16, 2005 9:30 AM

To: doctor9lord@royalhospital.com

Subject: Re: Tomorrow evening

 

Of course they’re designated.  Date number is very important, don’t you know that?

 

First date should be chips or coffee.  We did that with Jenny the other night.

Second date should be the theatre or maybe an author’s reading to show me how erudite and clever you are.  We’ll call that one the other night at the school- we did meet some artists and models!

Third date you’re likely to meet my mother.  (Sorry about that, Martha told her I was going out and she had kittens).

If you decide, after meeting her, that you’re not going to run away and never see me again, then I think maybe the fourth date should be a museum.  I love museums, and I’ll bet you have the best stories.

Fifth date then can be the Fourth Great and Bountiful Human Empire.

 

Rose

Live your truth. Express your love. Share your enthusiasm. Take action towards your dreams. Walk your talk. Dance and sing to your music. Embrace your blessings. Make today worth remembering. ~Steve Maraboli

 

Rose Tyler

Instructor

Peckham Community Centre for Continuing Education

 

\-----------------------------------------------------

 

From:  [ doctor9lord@royalhospital.com ](mailto:doctor9lord@royalhospital.com)

Sent: Tuesday, March 16, 2005 10:15 AM

To:  [ rtyler@pcc.org ](mailto:rtyler@pcc.org)

Subject: Tomorrow evening

 

This is the third date then?  I believe some of the movies my daughter watches would imply that a third date is important.  Have you heard of that?

 

Tim

 

Dr. Timothy Lord, M.D. PhD

Surgeon, Royal Hope Hospital

 

\-----------------------------------------------------

 

From:  [ rtyler@pcc.org ](mailto:rtyler@pcc.org)

Sent: Tuesday, March 16, 2005 11:27 AM

To: doctor9lord@royalhospital.com

Subject: Re: Tomorrow evening

 

I'm sure I have no idea what you're talking about. 

 

Aren't you supposed to be performing surgery, not interrupting my work day? 

 

Rose

Live your truth. Express your love. Share your enthusiasm. Take action towards your dreams. Walk your talk. Dance and sing to your music. Embrace your blessings. Make today worth remembering. ~Steve Maraboli

 

Rose Tyler

Instructor

Peckham Community Centre for Continuing Education

 

\-----------------------------------------------------

 

From:  [ doctor9lord@royalhospital.com ](mailto:doctor9lord@royalhospital.com)

Sent: Tuesday, March 16, 2005 11:35 AM

To:  [ rtyler@pcc.org ](mailto:rtyler@pcc.org)

Subject: Tomorrow evening

 

Are you saying that I distract you, Rose Tyler? I’d have thought you had better self-control than that. 

 

Tim

 

Dr. Timothy Lord, M.D. PhD

Surgeon, Royal Hope Hospital

 

\-----------------------------------------------------

 

From:  [ doctor9lord@royalhospital.com ](mailto:doctor9lord@royalhospital.com)

Sent: Tuesday, March 16, 2005 4:45 PM

To:  [ rtyler@pcc.org ](mailto:rtyler@pcc.org)

Subject: Tomorrow evening

 

I’ll be at the school in 15 minutes to pick up Jenny from class.  Perhaps I can tell you what I’ve heard about third dates then.

 

Tim

 

Dr. Timothy Lord, M.D. PhD

Surgeon, Royal Hope Hospital

 

\-----------------------------------------------------

 

Jenny looked up from her sketchpad to see that Rose was looking at her phone and blushing.  She had a shrewd idea who had just contacted her teacher, and couldn’t help a wide grin.

 

She glanced back at the model to find that Martha, who was reclining naked on the platform, was also looking at Rose with a small smile curling the corner of her wide, expressive mouth.  Jenny had been trying to execute that mouth properly through the entire class period.  This new expression, however… this one she liked.  She made some adjustments to her sketch and found that the face on her paper had suddenly come alive, and grinned again.  She looked up to see Martha had turned her attention to her.  The model gave Jenny a broad wink.

 

“Ten minutes,” Rose called.  “Go ahead and start putting stuff away if you’re at a stopping place, and getting to one if you’re not.  Poor Martha’s going to freeze, so don’t take too long!”

 

There was a murmur of assent and the beginnings of movement as some started to put their work away, and others hurried to capture some aspect of the woman before them that they might not see again.

 

Jenny glanced down at her sketchpad.  The body was a vague series of circles and ovals with a few sharper angles at elbow and shoulder.  She’d been focusing that day on Martha’s face, and was pleased with how it turned out.  The picture of her father had been better, but that was a face she knew almost as well as her own.

 

She put away her pencils into their case and slid it  into the bag her father had bought her after the first gala to hold her art supplies, saying that anyone as good as she was deserved the proper tools.

 

“What would you know about proper tools, Da?” she’d asked.  “You’re the sort who’d use a screwdriver for anything, including chopping vegetables or diagnosing cancer.”

 

“And doing surgery and putting up shelves,” her dad agreed.  “Very useful tool, a screwdriver.”

 

Jenny rolled her eyes at the memory.  She loved her dad, but he was a massive dork.  She wondered what Rose saw in him, but didn’t mind too much.  If he made Rose happy, and if Rose made Da happy, Jenny didn’t think she’d mind if they both started dressing in costumes and quoting 1950s slang.

 

Well… she might mind a bit.

 

A shadow fell over her work station, and Jenny turned, expecting to see Rose checking on her work for the day, smile already in place.  It fell away quickly to find that Reinette was standing behind her.

 

“Jennifer, ma petite,” she said, smiling with cold eyes.  “How are you darling?”

 

“It’s Jenny, Jeanne.  Has been for years.”

 

Reinette’s smile became even more plastic.  “Jenny then.  Tell me, my dear, how is your father?”

 

Jenny sighed.  Not even subtle.  “Da’s doing great.  He’s really happy.  He’s seeing someone, actually.”

 

Reinette’s smile fell away.  “Seeing someone?  Who?”

 

Jenny just shrugged.  It was mean of her, but she was enjoying Reinette’s discomfort.

 

Suddenly, a voice from the door to the classroom caused both of them to turn.

 

Jenny grinned to see her dad talking to Rose.  Normally he waited for her in the car, looking over notes from the office or reading a book, but he’d come into the classroom to talk to Rose who was grinning and blushing up at him.

 

She was too pleased with the sight of her dad and Rose that she missed the venom with which Jeanne was looking at them.

 

~?~?~?~?~

 

Rose glared at the rack of dresses on sale at Henrick’s.

 

“Maybe a dress is too much.  Maybe I should wear slacks.  Or jeans.  I don’t know.”

 

Martha rolled her eyes.  “If he’s not taking you somewhere nice enough to wear a dress, he’s not taking you on a proper first date.”

 

“Third,” Rose said, vaguely, running her fingers over the dresses on the rack.

 

“Third?  Where do you get that count?”

 

“Our first date was chips.  Second was the other night at the school.”

 

“That wasn’t a date, Rose, that was a huge mess of awkward.  And chips out with his daughter doesn’t count either.  She’s great, but your love life is really going to have to be separate from her or things are going to get really weird really fast.”

 

“Wonder what his favourite colour is,” Rose murmured, clearly not listening.  She pulled a green dress off the rack and frowned critically at it, then put it back.

 

“Doesn’t matter,” Martha said.  “Whatever colour you’re wearing needs to suit you, not him.”  She chose a red dress and held it out to her friend.  “Here, you’d look sexy as hell in it.”

 

Rose pursed her lips at the dress, which was low-cut in the front, with a skirt that wouldn’t quite reach her knees, but was full enough that it would swirl all the way up to her thighs as she moved.

 

“You don’t think it’d be too much?  I don’t want to move too fast.”

 

“You’re the one calling a second date at best a third date.”  Martha smirked when Rose blushed.  “The red would look great on you, but don’t you want to go with pink for this?  Isn’t it sort of your signature colour?”

 

“I’m not Elle Woods, Martha.  I don’t have a signature colour.”

 

“What colour did you wear on your interview with the community centre?  When you applied for your apartment?  Under your robes when you graduated University?”

 

Rose had to conceede the point.  “Fine, do you see one in pink that would suit?”

 

~?~?~?~?~

From: star_light_star_bright@gmail.com

Sent: Tuesday, March 16, 2005 5:45 PM

To:  [ rtyler@pcc.org ](mailto:rtyler@pcc.org)

Subject: About your date with my dad

 

hi rose!  i was talking to my dad about your date with him tomorrow and he said that you’re meeting him at the restaurant. you should let him pick you up.

 

Jenny

 

\-----------------------------------------------------

 

From:  [ rtyler@pcc.org ](mailto:rtyler@pcc.org)

Sent: Tuesday, March 16, 2005 9:08 PM

To: star_light_star_bright@gmail.com

Subject: Re: About your date with my dad

 

Hi Jenny,

I’m very sorry it took me so long to get back to you.  I was out shopping with Martha.

 

The restaurant that we’re going to is halfway between your place and mine, it would be silly of him to come all the way down here to pick me up.  I really don’t mind meeting him.

 

Rose

Live your truth. Express your love. Share your enthusiasm. Take action towards your dreams. Walk your talk. Dance and sing to your music. Embrace your blessings. Make today worth remembering. ~Steve Maraboli

 

Rose Tyler

Instructor

Peckham Community Centre for Continuing Education

 

\-----------------------------------------------------

 

From: star_light_star_bright@gmail.com

Sent: Tuesday, March 16, 2005 9:15 PM

To:  [ rtyler@pcc.org ](mailto:rtyler@pcc.org)

Subject: About your date with my dad

 

just let him pick you up.  it’s more romantic if you do.  i’m going to tell him to be at your place at 7 tomorrow.

 

Jenny

 

\-----------------------------------------------------

 

From:  [ rtyler@pcc.org ](mailto:rtyler@pcc.org)

Sent: Tuesday, March 16, 2005 9:19 PM

To: star_light_star_bright@gmail.com

Subject: Re: About your date with my dad

 

Best make it 7:30.  I have class until 6, and I’ll need longer than that to get ready.

 

Rose

Live your truth. Express your love. Share your enthusiasm. Take action towards your dreams. Walk your talk. Dance and sing to your music. Embrace your blessings. Make today worth remembering. ~Steve Maraboli

 

Rose Tyler

Instructor

Peckham Community Centre for Continuing Education

 

\-----------------------------------------------------

 

When the knock sounded on her door, Rose stood to answer it, but sat immediately at a sharp glare from her mother who was in the kitchen, putting together a cup of tea.

 

“Don’t you dare go scarpering off with this bloke before I’ve had a chance to speak to him young lady,” Jackie said, shoving a mug into her daughter’s hands.

 

“I’m twenty-four years old, mum.  I don’t need you to vet every bloke I go to dinner with.”

 

“Humph, maybe if you’d actually gone to dinner with a bloke any time in the last three years, but no.  You’ve practically taken holy orders.  I don’t even think you’ve gone out with that good-looking Jack, and now suddenly there’s someone in your life and you haven’t even mentioned them.  How do I know he’s not after you for your money, eh?”

 

“What money?”

 

“You’ve got a nice flat and a nice job.  If he’s some layabout, that’s plenty!”

 

Rose leaned her head back to thump against the wall.  “He’s a surgeon, Mum.  My salary is nothing.”

 

“And how do you know that, eh?  Bloke could tell you any story he wanted, couldn’t he?”

 

“He’s one of my students’ dads.”

 

“If he’s got a kid old enough to be in your classes, he’s got to be twice your age, Rose.  What’s a bloke like that, and a doctor to boot, doing with a girl like you then unless he’s after something sexual?”

 

Rose winced.  The walls of her flat were thin, and her mother was not keeping her voice down.  Tim had to be able to hear all of this.

 

“Jenny is on the young side of my students, and I think she was born when he was 18.  He’s really not that much older than me, Mum.”

 

“So he was a teenage dad, was he?  Sounds a real charmer, Rose.  What are you thinking?”

 

“I’m thinking he’s going to leave if someone doesn’t open the door for him soon.  If you won’t let me do it, you’ll need to.”

 

Jackie harrumphed again, but opened the door nevertheless.  “Who are you then?” she asked rudely to whoever was on the other side of the door.

 

Rose sighed.  If it was Tim, she had clearly wasted the money she’d spent on this dress as there was no way he’d be taking her to a nice restaurant after her mother was done with him.  If (by some miracle) it was one of her neighbors, she was going to have to move because nice old Mrs. Agnes from next door would never forgive her being so rude.

 

“I’m Doctor Lord.  I’m here to take Rose Tyler to dinner.  I assume you’re her mother?”

 

Rose smiled to hear his voice, for all she was feeling terribly embarrassed.

 

“It would have been diplomatic to pretend you believed I was her sister,” Jackie said.  Rose was surprised to note a tone of grudging respect.

 

“It might have been, but then you’d take me for either a liar or a fool, and I can’t have that.  Besides, Rose told me her mother would be here.”

 

Rose closed her eyes at the implied insult to her mum and hoped she hadn’t caught it.  She remembered Donna Noble telling her that Tim was horribly rude.  Seems she was right.

 

“What are you doing with my daughter, mate?” Jackie asked, and Rose could tell from the tone of her voice that she hadn’t missed the insult.  “What are you?  Forty?”

 

There was mild annoyance but no active anger in Tim’s voice when he answered.  “I’m thirty-four, and I had thought to take Rose to dinner tonight, if she still wanted to go with me.”

 

“Rose is just a kid, she doesn’t know what she wants, does she?”

 

That was the last straw.  Rose had allowed her mother to bully her into this interview, but she was not going to be treated as anything but the autonomous adult that she had grown into.

 

“Mother,” she said in a warning tone, crossing to the door of her flat, “may I introduce Dr. Tim Lord, my friend.  Doctor, this is my mum, Jackie Tyler, and she was just leaving.”

 

“He expects you to call him Doctor?” Jackie screeched.

 

“No, it’s a joke between us, Mum.  I’ll text you when I’m home, okay?”  She leaned over and kissed her mother’s cheek and shoved her out the door as she pulled it shut behind herself and locked it.

 

“Don’t go on a date in three years and the next time you get out it’s with some bloke with ears and a nose like…” Jackie muttered.

 

“Good night, Mum,” Rose said, firmly, taking her arm and leading her down the steps to her car.  “Give Howard my love, okay?”

 

Finally, after a few more shoves and a whole lot more muttering, Jackie was off and Rose was, for the first time, able to turn her attention to Tim, who’d followed at her heels like a puppy through the entire ordeal with Jackie.  She turned to apologize and, upon really looking at him for the first time, found herself struck dumb.

 

It wasn’t so much that he was wearing anything unusual- chocolate-brown oxford, unbuttoned at the neck, a black blazer, black trousers, no tie- but that she had never seen him in anything other than dark jeans, jumpers, and his battered leather jacket, in addition to the way he wore them, and Rose’s mouth went dry just seeing him.

 

He looked as though he hadn’t shaved since the previous night.  His cheeks and jaw were scruffily stubbled in a way that made a woman want to run her hands over the skin to feel the scratch of it.  Rose had to force herself not to think about what that rough surface might feel like against her own tender skin.

 

“You look beautiful,” Tim said, taking her in with those sapphire-chip eyes.

 

She knew that.  Had known it from the moment she’d put the dress on in the fitting rooms at Henrick’s the previous night.  Martha had taken one look at her and told her that she was buying the dress if for nothing more than the fun of seeing the Doctor’s eyes bug out of his head.

 

They weren’t.

 

Quite.

 

The dress should have been perfectly demure, displaying only the most discreet amount of cleavage, with a hem that fell to just above her knees, but the effect was not that of a demure gown.  There was an under-dress in a peachy ivory that was just almost the same colour as the skin visible at Rose’s chest and shoulder, overlaid with lace the colour of an antique rose.  it made her look as though she might be naked under the pink lace, and the Doctor could not seem to take his eyes from her.

 

She knew that she looked amazing.  Martha and her mother had both said so, and Rose could see herself in the mirror.

 

It was so nice to hear Tim say it, however, and she grinned in pleasure.

 

“You look wonderful as well, Doctor.”

 

He gave an uncomfortable shrug.  “Jack and Jenny told me to wear a tie, but I was stubborn.  Seeing you though, I wish I had.”

 

Rose shook her head.  “No, you’d look too formal in a tie.  You look perfect, I promise.”

 

Feeling daring, she stepped closer to him- into his space.  Her eyes were level with the bottom of the V of skin that was displayed by the un-done top button of his shirt.  If she tipped her head back just an inch, she could have pressed a kiss to that tempting spot, but she did not.  Instead, she reached up and gently brushed the back of her hand over the rough stubble on his cheek.

 

“Didn’t have time to shave today.  Been rushing through everything to be sure I was out on time, for this,” Tim said, sounding just a bit breathless, and making Rose feel powerful and sexy.

 

He reached up and took the hand that was resting against his face and brought it to his lips, pressing a kiss to her knuckles with his eyes boring into hers.

 

“What time is the reservation?” Rose asked, feeling a bit breathless herself.

 

“Eight,” the Doctor said, sounding disappointed.  He glanced at his watch and his eyebrows shot up, creasing his forehead comically.  “Blimey, if we’re going to make it, we’ll have to run.”  He grabbed her hand again and pulled her with him.  “Come on, Rose Tyler.  Run!”

 

~?~?~?~?~

 

“I’ve heard of paella all my life, but I’ve never had it,” Rose said, taking another bite of the spiced rice and seafood on her plate.  “It’s gorgeous.”

 

Gorgeous, Tim thought, watching her close her eyes in pleasure at the food.  Yeah, he could describe a lot of things about the night with that word.  Not the least was the woman sitting across from him in that delicate, impossibly distracting, little dress.

 

It had been a night out of a dream, surely.  They’d talked of food and travel and Jenny the whole way to the restaurant.  When they’d arrived and he’d introduced her to his friend who owned the place, she’d charmed him completely.  Then she’d taken a long look at the menu, set it aside, and asked the waiter what his favourite thing on it was and ordered that.  Tim had ordered for himself and a few things to share, including a bottle of wine.

 

“You know the way to a girl’s heart,” she’d said when she’d discovered that ‘papas bravas’ were fried potatoes in sauce.

 

He didn’t know it, not yet.  But he wanted to.

 

The restaurant was lit by candlelight and she glowed.  He found himself forgetting to eat in the pleasure of watching her talk- animated and vivid and wonderful.

 

She caught him at it once.

 

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

 

Tim blinked.  He hadn’t realized he’d been looking at her in any particular way, save to be in awe of the golden glow that seemed to surround her.  Perhaps he’d been staring with his mouth open like an ape.

 

“What way is that?”

 

She shrugged.  “You were smiling.  Did I say something funny?”

 

He laughed.  “No… or… maybe.  But I was smiling because I can’t believe you’re here with me.”

 

Her smile could, he thought, become his reason for being.

 

When the meal came to an end, it seemed far too soon, though a glance at his watch told him they’d been in the restaurant for two and a half hours, and they both had to work in the morning.

 

In the car, as he drove her home, her hand drifted onto his on the gearshift, resting lightly as though it belonged.

 

It did.

 

And then he was at her door, and she her hand was in his, and he hadn’t realized it, and he suddenly remembered that he hadn’t dated in over a decade, and his heart stopped.

 

“Tonight was amazing, Tim,” Rose said, looking up at him with those lucent golden eyes.  “Best date I’ve ever been on.  Thank you so much.”

 

“Oh Rose,” he murmured, moving closer to her as though drawn by gravity.  “I wanted it to be perfect for you.”

 

“It was.  It was… like a movie.  Well… almost.”

 

“Almost?”

 

She looked up at him through dark lashes and gave him a wicked smile.  “Movies always end on a kiss, don’t they?”

 

Yes, he thought he might just fall for her right then and there.

 

He bent his head to hers and she met him halfway, lips already parted.  She tasted like wine and cinnamon and her hair smelled of bergamot and lavender.  

 

He discovered, as his hands found her waist, that the slip of her dress was made of some silky, slippery fabric that kept him from getting a tight hold, but allowed his hands to roam easily.

 

He discovered that, when he nipped at her bottom lip, she made the same noise that she’d made the first time she tasted crema catalana.

 

He discovered that she was either wearing no underwear at all under that dress, or she was wearing a thong, and either idea sent his mind spinning to places that it really shouldn’t.  Not yet.  Not on only two weeks’ acquaintance.

 

He pulled back and looked down at her, slightly rumpled and well-kissed.

 

“Now it’s just like the movies, Rose Tyler.”

 

~?~?~?~?~

 

Rose locked the door behind Tim, a smile she couldn’t seem to shake curling her lips.

  
She shot off a text that said “Home now, date was good, talk later” to her mother, Martha, and Jack, then shut her phone off, not quite ready to share the night with anyone yet.


End file.
